The Sunday Mail
Last week, we published the first part of Zimpapers Head of Television Nomsa Nkala’s interview with the Head of the European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Philippe Van Damme. The following is the second instalment, which continues with the theme on Europe’s interest in African elections.
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Q: Have any African groupings ever observed elections in Europe?
A: Not to my knowledge.
Q: Earlier this year, Rwanda said it was not bothered by the European Union’s non-involvement in its elections because Africans are really not invited to observe or monitor elections in Europe. What do you make of that statement? Does it not reflect a disconnect between the two continents?
A: I don’t know whether there is a disconnect. And l don’t have to comment on President Kagame’s statement. What I see is an increasingly close relationship between the EU and Africa, and this has culminated in regular EU-AU Summits.
The next Summit will be held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire this November. This gathering of European and African leaders will concentrate on the fundamental theme of the role of youths in society. There is on-going advocacy to listen to the voices of young people not only in Africa, but also in Europe.
As such, youths will meet prior to the Summit to identify and collate their key concerns which will then be tabled at the Summit in Abidjan.
In addition, the EU and Africa are partnering on peace and security, migration and integration. The relationship is growing stronger: l don’t see any problem there.
Q: But do you agree that this is the general sentiment in Africa?
A: Well, clearly, some people in Africa have this sentiment. However, I’m not sure whether it is a general sentiment. I have been to different African countries, but I have not encountered consistent hostility towards the partnership between Africa and Europe.
In Zimbabwe, I have come across a lot of people who support what we are doing and the EU-Africa partnership, which is a real relationship of equals.
We have trade relations based on equality. And we also have a negotiated economic partnership agreement that gives Zimbabwe tariff-free access to EU markets. On the other hand, we don’t have similar access to the Zimbabwean market. So, the inequality is the other way around.
Nevertheless, I don’t see any substantive problem in that.
Q: But still, some in Africa feel the West always want to prescribe and define democracy for Africa. . .
A: Opinions are divergent. However, fundamental values are universal. These values relate to principles of democracy, rule of law and human rights. Democracy is translated in different ways around the world. Even Europe has constitutional monarchs, presidential regimes and parliamentary regimes.
So, each country finds its own way. Democracy is never a perfect end product, but its core principles are fundamental and universal.
Q: Is that the EU position, that democracy differs from country to country?
A: I am not saying democracy differs from country to country. I’m saying the principles are universal. The way you translate these principles institutionally may vary, depending on each country’s history, but the fundamentals are the same.
Q: Zimbabwe is holding harmonised elections in 2018. Will the EU propose to send election observers?
A: The time has not yet come for us to discuss that with Government.
Q: Are you considering that, though?
A: Normally, the issue regarding election observer missions is discussed roughly six months before polls as we require enough time to mobilise long-term observer missions. Therefore, we still have time to discuss. Yes, we will, of course, raise the issue in due time. We, indeed, think that we can add value to the electoral process.
(Proposing an observer mission) is a possibility which is on the table.
Q: Why didn’t you send an observer mission to Rwanda?
A: Because President Kagame did not allow us to deploy an election observer mission in Rwanda.
Q: Ambassador, earlier, you touched on the National Indicative Programme. Any visible results so far?
A: I visit our projects in Zimbabwe’s countryside regularly, and we have seen extremely successful initiatives. Some projects have been experiencing challenges here and there, but the most successful ones are those that continue to focus on creating viable livelihoods.
And viability demands that smallholder players access markets, something that requires a lot of organisational skills.
You group people, organise production and then arrange access to markets. That is what we call Public Private Community Partnerships.
Communities link up with the private sector for expertise and access to markets. Of course, Government extension services will be available, too.
We have visited a couple of highly successful projects in horticulture and staple crops. So, yes, this country can progress if stakeholders are willing to work together and if the legal environment allows.
At present, we are only working with smallholders on communal land. There are still many problems with the legal framework, and that hampers investment.
We are engaging Government on these economic reforms, which are linked to land ownership (or at least security of tenure), rule of law and the macro-economic environment, including indigenisation.
Progress is slow, meaning it is difficult to engage multi-lateral agencies because Government has debt arrears with them.
These (arrears) should be cleared so that Government can access new funding.
However, that new funding is linked to structural reforms which guarantee that the money will be used in the most productive way possible and will lead to a sustainable debt policy.
Full interview on www.ztn.co.zw
To be continued next week
