via Chinamasa pleads with diplomats to bury the hatchet – NewsDay November 15, 2013 Dumisani Sibanda
FINANCE minister Patrick Chinamasa Thursday pleaded with diplomats from countries that have been hostile to his party, Zanu PF, to bury the hatchet and work with the government for mutual economic benefit.
Addressing Western diplomats at the Foreign Affairs offices in Harare, Chinamasa implored them to lobby for the lifting of sanctions imposed on top government officials.
He said in the next few months, Indigenisation minister Francis Nhema would explain how each economic sector will be indigenised to dispel fears that the policy was aimed at nationalising all foreign-owned companies.
Chinamasa, who was flanked by Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and Foreign Affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, was briefing diplomats on government’s economic turnaround programme — the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Social and Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).
“We stand ready to allow our economy to talk to yours,” said the usually combative Finance minister addressing the group of diplomats who included EU Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia. “We are appealing and hope the sanctions will be lifted against us. Let’s start talking and intensifying our economic relations because it’s to our mutual benefit. Trading is a mutual thing and so is investment. I want to talk economics to all your countries, your businesspersons, not withstanding our political differences.”
Zimbabwe has had frosty relations with the Anglo-Saxon world since the launch of its land reform programme resulting in the imposition of sanctions on Harare which, however, those countries called targeted measures.
Chinamasa said the first step in the attraction of investment into Zimbabwe was ensuring there was “clarity and consistency in the implementation of policies”.
“It does not embarrass me to make a U-turn when we see it is no longer possible to move in that path,” he said.
“We need to be clear about indigenisation. People are put off even by the name indigenisation because it’s there in other countries, but called localisation or other terms, but it raises no pimples.”
He said government has asked for experts from the World Bank and the African Development Bank to assist it on how it can mobilise resources through the securitisation of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.
Chinamasa said government was keen to ensure transparency in the diamond sector which was one of the benchmarks in the International Monetary Fund staff-monitored programme on Zimbabwe.
However, he said this could only be possible if sanctions have been removed.
Chinamasa said government wanted to cultivate a culture of paying its debts and he will now insist that for any “new obligation the country enters into” there is a payment plan.
He said government was looking into “bringing to life State assets such as the Cold Storage Commission and Agricultural Rural Development estates which are lying fallow” through joint ventures.
The Finance minister said private-public partnerships for big projects such as road maintenance were being considered as well as “looking at whether the National Railways of Zimbabwe is amenable to such an arrangement”.
COMMENTS
Compensate the farmers first comrade, then sanctions will be lifted.
Chinamasa, Cry wolf. Professor Moyo, chancer!
Why would foreign diplomats condone the Zanu modus operandi of theft, robbery, torture, rape, murder and genocide – always to consolidate their power – just because Patrick Anthony now feels it is time to bury the hatchet? Now that Zanu has murdered so many and stolen so much – now they want peace – on their terms of course -like Gadaffi and Amin?
So this cat still has an attitude?
Let’s see where it gets him.
In case he still does not understand; The West does not need Zimbabwe nearly as much as Zimbabwe needs the West.
We are the ones that need the help, and Zanu PF’s behavior is the reason for the sanctions.
So you want to bury hatchets. Have you sent an apology to the lady you that you wanted to beat up in her own country earlier this year.I am sure you remember your only trip to Britain in a very long time.
Who can invest their faith in an arrogant leadership, an incompetent government, a ruling party that has caused all forms of atrocities. Who can trust thieves, a government haunted by corruption, a horde of thieves, murderers, thugs and above all the most corrupt ever government of our time.
Kandiro kanopfumba kunobva kamwe. Do good unto others if you want them to be good in return. What are you crying for Chinamasa? Fools won’t stop amazing – they claim to be a reservoir of knowledge yet nothing really fills up their heads. Do you remember Bob saying keep your Britain and I will keep my Zimbabwe? What did he mean? He made wrong assumptions that he could stand independent of all yet Zimbabwe doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You should learn to co-relate, co-exist and realise that Zimbabwe is part to the global community and can not go it as a stand – alone entity.
Kudhotera pamumvuri wekuzororera Chinamasa is what you did. We need real change and will urge the international community to make you realise the grave mistakes you made and how costly they are. To all the embassies, please don’t support a selfish and oppressive regime. Let them eat their words. Makajaidzwa – murderers.
Mr chinamasa you keep your zimbabwe and we will keep our britain you ignorant fool.
The weirder you’re going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person.
Chinamasa has no shame. Is he not the one who used to pour vitriol on the very diplomats he is begging from? They know his true colours and wont listen to a confused moron. Zanu rigged the elections with no plan for the country and the West do not recognise their victory. Uchabuda furo pamuromo pasina anokunzwa Chinamasa. Give us the voters roll.
REFORMS AND RULE OF LAW FIRST. REMOVE INDEGINISATION TOTALLY. CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE AND MANNERS…REMOVE SOME GUYS FIRST……KIKIKIKI
VOTERS’ ROLL PAMBERI. TOMANA KUMUSHA FIRST!
Work with zanu pf government for what and get what in return, more of rigged elections fooling the world to please who Robert mugabe this is not what you promised when you campained you armtwisted sadc and au why must the west listen to zanu .TONGAI TIONE.
Mugabe and zanupf vakamamira mutsime ravo. Shame, shame, shame america. Shame shame shame britain. And now you have the guts to go and beg the same people you insulted? Some people have no sense of shame! Shame shame shame on you!
Do we expect any different. Einstein once said the difference between genius and a fool is that a genius has limitations!!!! this is HIV does to the brain.
Their arrogance has no bounds the bloody fools
Although ZANU PF has managed after July 31 2013 to sanitize what (for lack of a suitable term) was a form of electoral coup in 2008, the West will continue to have its eyes on the future of South Africa, in light of the land invasions and many threats to mining companies and even banks in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe will not be allowed to set a dangerous precedent. The West may be willing to slowly bury the hatchet on the rigging (particularly in view of the opposition’s recent ineptitude) but something will need to be done to address the violation of property rights and the past acts of violence and lawlessness for any real thawing to occur.