Zimbabwe poised to rejoin Commonwealth
THE country is on its way to re-joining the Commonwealth with President Mnangagwa saying on Wednesday that there were no more impediments to Zimbabwe hooking up with the club of former British colonies.
In an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Mnangagwa said misunderstanding over the land reform programme saw Zimbabwe parting ways with the Commonwealth but that was now water under the bridge as the land expropriation exercise was done and dusted.
Asked if Zimbabwe was going to re-join the Commonwealth, President Mnangagwa responded: “One of the major things which the envoy from Prime Minister Theresa May, a Mr Stuart, who came to see me within an hour of my inauguration, said was that Prime Minister May would want to know whether I will be joining the Commonwealth. My reply was that at the time Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth it was on the issue of the land reform which was unfolding in Zimbabwe at the time and we differed on that.” The President said such differences no longer exist. “But now as far as we are concerned the land reform programme is behind us. All that is there now is the interrogation of it and say are they people with multiple farms and issues of vandalism and so on but the issue is out and I believe most of the Commonwealth countries accept that the programme is done. So there is no impediment anymore between us and joining the Commonwealth,” said President Mnangagwa.
The country left the Commonwealth in 2003 after the former President, Robert Mugabe, disagreed with the club’s decision to suspend Zimbabwe indefinitely at the Abuja Summit.
Zimbabwe had been suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002 following an election that was disputed by the international community.
Ever since he succeeded President Mugabe last November, President Mnangagwa has worked tirelessly to bring back the country to the community of nations after years of the burdensome pariah state status.
Cde Mugabe resigned following Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ Operation Restore Legacy which removed criminals that were abusing him.
President Mnangagwa has also opened the door for investors to come to Zimbabwe, which boasts minerals that include diamonds, platinum, gold, chrome, copper, tin, lithium and iron.
The President heads to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the African Union Summit after Davos.