The Sunday Mail
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa’s history making trip to the United Nations Climate Change (Conference of Parties 26) meeting in Glasgow, Scotland last week, not only provided him with a platform to showcase to the world the immense progress Zimbabwe has made under his watch, but was a major diplomatic breakthrough for the country following years of international isolation.
The conference created an opportunity for engagement between the Head of State and his counterparts from across the world as it brought together world leaders such as United States President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (who was the host), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of the British Royal family such as Prince Charles and his son William, European Union leaders and staff, African presidents and other leaders from elsewhere on the globe.
Such a grand occasion, attracting a global audience and media spotlight, was the perfect platform for Zimbabwe to announce its emergence from two decades of isolation and its readiness to once again take its rightful place in the community of nations.
President Mnangagwa’s invitation to COP26 not only broke decades of international isolation for Zimbabwe, but signalled a major diplomatic breakthrough for the country which will henceforth see relations with other nations scaling new heights. We are delighted that the President seized the opportunity with both hands, using the gathering to break ice with Zimbabwe’s erstwhile opponents such as the US and UK while accelerating processes already underway to strengthen relations with the EU and other bodies such as the Commonwealth.
He had a tête-à-tête with the President of the US, Mr Biden, Mr Johnson and other important world leaders during informal discussions where promises were made to engage further, away from the climate summit. During these informal discussions, President Mnangagwa reminded Mr Biden that Zimbabwe was still under US sanctions, but was pleasantly surprised at the warmness of the US leader towards Zimbabwe and his willingness to hold further talks on normalising relations. He spoke to Mr Trudeau who promised to send a Minister to Zimbabwe to reboot relations between the two countries.
On his engagements with the British government, President Mnangagwa said he spoke three times with Mr Johnson, had an engagement with the UK Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, who is expected to visit Zimbabwe soon.
He spoke to Prince Charles and his son William. Although the British Royal Family does not engage in active politics, it is an important institution in that country which is revered for the symbolic role it plays in society. European Council president Charles Michel also had a conversation with President Mnangagwa and expressed keenness to see a restoration of normal relations between Zimbabwe and the EU.
Elsewhere, President Mnangagwa met Commonwealth secretary general, Baroness Patricia Scotland, who revealed that the organisation was ready to welcome Zimbabwe back into the group once processes for rejoining, which are underway, are complete.
In all his engagements, the President detailed Zimbabwe’s reform agenda and progress the country has made since 2017 when he assumed the reins of power. His invitation to COP26 is significant in that it sheds Zimbabwe’s pariah status as the country faced numerous challenges in the past when it came to international conferences.
Under the First Republic, Zimbabwe often encountered impediments with visas for its delegations and was often snubbed at important meetings due to its frosty relations with world powers such as the US and UK which sponsored the imposition of sanctions on Harare in retaliation for the land reform programme.
Zimbabwe’s participation at COP26 thus demonstrates the British government’s willingness to make a break with the past and forge ahead on a clean slate. Relations between the two nations must be premised on mutual respect and a realisation that the land reform programme is non-negotiable and irreversible.
By extending an invitation to President Mnangagwa, the UK government has shown that it is willing to engage Zimbabwe at the highest level. We welcome this important development and hope that going forward, engagements will be taken to another level with the ultimate aim of completely normalising relations. We call on the EU, US, Canada and other Western nations to acknowledge the immense progress Zimbabwe has made since 2017 and lift sanctions in total as they are impeding the country’s reform agenda which is a key plank of Vision 2030.
While Zimbabwe cannot undo the wrongs of the past overnight, it has demonstrated goodwill and achieved key milestones in turning around its economy, affording citizens basic rights, and adhering to tenets of good governance.
It has bent over backwards to compensate white former commercial farmers who lost their properties during the land reform programme, at the risk of angering the majority black population. Such milestones should be acknowledged by the West and the principle of reciprocity applied. By removing sanctions which are militating against trade between Zimbabwe and the EU/US, the West will be accelerating the pace of the reform agenda which is crucial for stabilising the economy and improving the lives of ordinary people.
COP26 was a win-win outcome for both Zimbabwe and the West as both sides managed to thaw frosty relations and lay the ground for future engagements. The era of megaphone diplomacy is over and we look forward to a situation where both sides commit to meaningful dialogue and an end to hostility which benefits no one. Zimbabwe is a tiny country compared to world powers such as the UK/US and poses no significant threat to their interests. It should be allowed to flourish using its natural resources unhindered by the machinations of coercive instruments such as sanctions.
