via Zim wants to mend rift with Britain – DailyNews Live by John Kachembere 24 MARCH 2014
Zimbabwe has asked France to help the troubled southern African nation mend relations with former colonial ruler Britain.
Christopher Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe’s deputy Foreign Affairs minister, asked French Ambassador to Zimbabwe Laurent Delahousse to assist in resolving a bilateral dispute between Zimbabwe and the UK government that has lasted close to 14 years.
“Now that France has decided to assist Zimbabwe again, we will be glad if you may talk to your friend, whom we are emotionally attached to, to re-engage with us,” Mutsvangwa said last week.
“We want the British and their companies to come and resume business here. They must have long-term perspectives on Zimbabwe and not base their goals on emotions.”
Relations between Britain and Zimbabwe soured in 1997 when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour government pulled out of talks to fund President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reforms.
Mugabe also accused the British of meddling in the country’s affairs by funding his political opponents.
At the height of the diplomatic feud, Britain and fellow European Union (EU) member countries in 2002 imposed targeted sanctions on Mugabe and his inner circle.
Last month, Mugabe hinted that he was ready to engage with the former colonial master as a way of reviving the country’s ailing economy.
“The British, we don’t hate you, we only love our country better,” Mugabe told the crowd that helped him celebrate his 90th birthday in Marondera.
Mutsvangwa said the British have more to lose if they perpetuate a stand-off with the southern African country.
“The world has now become flat and one can get money from anywhere in the world,” Mutsvangwa said.
“The British may lose more if they remain playing an adversarial role to Zimbabwe.
“We have many resources here and many European countries and other emerging nations would be glad to help us.”
Although the EU and the United States condemned Zimbabwe’s last election as “deeply flawed”, there have been deliberate moves to re-engage and normalise relations with the Zanu PF-led government, starting
with the calibrated removal of targeted sanctions against most of Mugabe’s cronies.
This has paved the way for the West to begin giving money directly to Zimbabwe or to adopt various economic turnaround projects that should be the responsibility of the government.
In recent months, Western donors have announced copious amounts of funds in support of the government, reminiscent of post-war rebuilding efforts.
On Wednesday last week, Zimbabwe received a financial bail-out worth $53 million, and of this amount
$35 million is funded by Australia, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Switzerland.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation gave the government a grant of
$9 million to boost livestock production in Matabeleland North.
About two weeks ago, the Swedish government gave the Labour ministry $15 million to assist children in the country.
This financial commitment is not tied to any specific programme and, according to Lars Ronnas, Sweden’s envoy to Zimbabwe, the Zanu PF-led government can use the money as it sees fit.
Britain recently gave $10 million to enable the country’s poor children to access basic education.
COMMENTS
If the world is flat and you can get money from anywhere, why bother rekindle relations with colonial master. Go get the money from somewhere.
What a perfect world it is when you can be a beggar and a chooser, never mind a thief, a murderer and a liar. And yet still everything is ok?
A classic example of madness. Zanu PF now begging for normalization of relations with Britain? The mountain has come to Mohammed indeed! France has been appointed “munyai” or broker in this money seeking expedition. What has happened to the diamonds and Indigenization? Not enough gullible businesses to swindle of 51% of the value of their businesses? These are hard times indeed. Charova sei chando kukwidza hamba mumuti.
mugabe and zanupf must think the British are idiots. Do they seriously think that any foreign company or enterprise would open a business in Zimbabwe when there is the threat that they will hav to hand over 51% of the business to saviour kusekwere. Think again. The British are neither stupid nor gullible. mugabe has run out of companies from which to loot. Guess who is having the last laugh!!! Hahahaahhh Hehhheeeee
Jan, but the West has just handed over another $53million for the thieves to squander. Yes they are idiots it seems, ZANU again has the last laugh.
Zanu has their backs to the wall and are desperate. This is obviously a money grabbing attempt. Should any of these countries give money they will be told to ‘go hang’ once Zanu have got as much as they can. Zanu go get you money from your friends-North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Iran
It is the British who are desperate for more and closer ties with Zanupf. Zanupf big-wigs have their sons and daughters in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The French Ambassador to Zimbabwe has been up and down looking for friends from Zanupf. Norway ambassador painfully apologized for whatever anti Zanupf role his country played and vowed to amend the relationship.These people pretend that Zanupf is begging but truly its them who are begging for space to have access to Zimbabwe’s resources. Forget about them ever getting worried about genuine human rights, freedom and democracy for Zimbabwean people as a whole.
Bazur Wa KuMuzi, stop embarrassing yourself. You are delluded are’nt you. That era is long gone…we are living in a different world now where the world is moving on and you choose to live in the past..you will soon rot in your bitterness while the progressive nations you castigate move on. Get real and catch up with the rest of the world.
When the MDC developed ties with the UK, they cried “sell-outs, trying to make Zimbabwe a colony again.”
Then again asking the French to mediate; given the longstanding rivalry for influence between those two former colonialists. Is that not a bit like a husband asking one girlfriend to mediate between him and another of his former girlfriends?
Bizarre diplomacy.
@Bazur Wa KuMuzi I don’t know where you conclude this opinion from. Anything Britain would want from Zimbabwe they can get it at half price from Zimbabwe’s neighbours who will buy it from Zimbabwe for 1/4 price. You can keep on fooling yourself. You go to Britain their shops are full of fruit and other products from other African countries. They don’t need Zanu pf. During my time in the UK I used to still be able to get my Sadza (Iwisa) Borewors Amasi in shops right in the UK. I even once a week had my chomolier (which is by the way Indigenous to France) and my Rape (SAAG) That is how much choice you have in Britain.
I also agree with you that “Zanupf big-wigs have their sons and daughters in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand” the so called criminals in the diaspora Apolitical told us about.
Mr Mutswanga is a very poor diplomat who limits his negotiating approach.He plays cheap policies which could back fire at the end.Who pulled us from the Commonwealth? We need these organisations if we are to remain in a flat world as he says loosely.The minister must stop being naively boastful so early in the negotiations.Stop your cheap party politics and be a real diplomat for the country.
The country needs proper rule of law for any meaningful investment to start pouring in not these small grants and donations which were always there eg health donations and food donations.These countries have not invested here as yet.Do not mislead the public because we are intelligent to know what is over stated and what is on the ground.
The opposition messed itself by engaging the west to relax isolation of this country before the elections,so these countries are right to deal with the new government.This is what we call democracy and freedom of choice.
However, its all a matter of time.
The reality of the situation is that the July 2013 elections with MDC participation and subsequent AU and SADC acceptance have taken the wind out of the opposition’s sails. If Mugabe goes, succession is smoothly managed and the 51% ownership is subsequently panel beaten, there are tough times ahead for the opposition, in the medium to long term.
A lot of “Ifs” but such a scenario is not impossible. In the short term, we remain distracted with the corruption “revelations,” Mugabe stays, the economy coughs and splutters on but we Zimbabweans continue to find a way to survive peacefully as usual.
As they say in the English language, “Pride goes before a fall”. This gukurahundi Mutswangwa is begging for relations with the UK,yett he still continues with the usual nonsense about the UK being the one that stands to lose more – what utter rubbish.
In the last 14 years, who between Britain and Zim have lost more? There are more black Zim refugees in the UK today, than they ever were during the liberation struggle in the 1970s.
There are no British refugees in Zim. There is no hunger in the UK and relatively speaking, their economy is still doing well – so who exactly is the loser here?
Get rid of your useless and meaningless gukurahundi pride and go cap in hand to the British and beg for forgiveness. They will get you out of your self-created misery in less than twelve months and you will be back on track to be the Jewel of Africa once again!!
In the bigger picture, the diplomatic offensive(however crude or bungled) and thawing of international relations (however slow) will continue.
Overall, the opposition has to go on the offensive and do something inspired and game changing.
Sitting back and hoping ZANU will allow accurate results next election, waiting for a spontaneous uprising, relying on decisive SADC, EU or other support, in other words business as usual – just not do. Not at this juncture.
The national symbol is on display again! The ‘begging bowl.” And that is sad for a nation that could not only be sustaining itself but other nations too. Zimbabwe is truly a mess. Who will be woman or man enough in government to stand up and begin to confess the truth. The truth only ever brought good things but they have forgotten what the truth is!
But not one country will demand that the election material be opened up for scrutiny will they? One day the mighty dollar, yen, pound or whatever will fall world wide. We live in a world where money has become our god! No wonder we are all in trouble. The truth is sacrificed!
Almost everyone in the zanu pf government has at one time castigated Britain for interfeering in zimbabwean politics Tsvangirai as teaboy and all those who went to the UK for whatever reason called all sorts of names, by the head of state Robert Mugabe my question is what has changed, people in the diaspora are denied the right to vote , WHY
For me it is not weather British companies invest in Zimbabwe or not. It’s not even the modalities that count. Anything would be welcome at this stage. They will never invest without control of their investment.That would be stupid. With me it’s for some people in the powers that be to come to their senses. How long can they sit back whilst people fail to get jobs. How long can they watch people starve? They need to say to the people sorry we erred.
But Zvichanaka may be you are one of those thugs in Tswangirai’s party who do not want to hear any critical facts about the British and their partners. I pointed out the reality. I do not hate them despite what they did to me and my people together with Zanupf. I do not leave in the past. I see these people pushing each other to grab any opportunity to get to Zanupf but pretending that it is Zanupf doing it. They also lie that they are doing it on behalf of the majority of the people. I personally know of Zanupf people travelling every week to the UK either for treatment,any other personal business or luxury. Maybe you are one of them. You do not want to be exposed. We know that the British do wine and dine with some Zanupf. This report that it is Zanupf desperately craving for the British is false! Insult me with all your vocabulary of insults.This is just a fact!
I thought it was ‘filthy imperialist bourgeoise money’ That is what we were told for years! Now they want this money. In fact these currencies are now our national currencies. So you zanu cretins, what do you have to say? You could not even safeguard our national currency! Everything, but everything you touch you destroy or leave in a worse condition. What happened to Buhreya toireti you keep your Britain and I will keep my Zimbabwe! What happened to ‘go hang’. Mutsvangwa better check with his boss because he is definitely not reading from the same sheet of paper.
The truth is finally out. ZANU PF is totally lost in confusion. ZANU PF wants to con the British. Britain must refuse to be used before regime change is a reality. Mutsvangwa is the one who brought us these economic predators called the Chinese. What is there left of our natural wealth to attract British investment when the best of our minerals were given to the Chinese ex gratis. Britain, please hold your horses until regime change is achieved.
Christopher Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe’s deputy Foreign Affairs minister is a big sellout. How can he want to engage the former colonial master considering all the devillish tendencies that they have. Not in a thousand years, I am prepared to die if the British are ever reengaged. We have our look east policy and anyone who advocates look west is a traitor of the worst kind and deserves to be charged with treason.
Zvapresser. Tongai tione.
So why does Zimbabwe use pounds and US dollars-is that not treasonous and a sell out to the revolutionary ideal. Should not Mugabe be charged with treason for allowing the use of ‘colonial master currency’ If you hate it so much why are you not shouting in Africa Unity Square to get rid of the ‘sell out currency’ In fact is not Mugabe the biggest sell out because I know he gets paid in filthy, imperialist bourgeois us dollars. Masvukupete you are a stupid ignorant fellow aren’t you? Is Mugabe not a sell out for murdering thousands upon thousands of Zimbabwean citizens? Oh ummmm maybe that was ‘just a mistake’
“The world has now become flat and one can get money from anywhere in the world,” Mutsvangwa said. Why in world then does he want want the British to invest here?
‘Relations between Britain and Zimbabwe soured in 1997 when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour government pulled out of talks to fund President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reforms.’ Can the writer tell us why the British government pulled out.
Truly judgement is coming. I find this whole political debacle devastating. The suffering and desperation I see is simply heart breaking. Where are the Christians in ZPF? Do you not know the word? Where is the fear of God. “There is a way that seems right unto a man but its steps lead down to death.” That is where you are going if you do not turn and repent and there is nothing better I would like to see.
masvukupete is a queer fellow. He is prepared to die if Zanu engages the British? Why would any sensible person commit suicide for something so silly? A very queer chap.
If the Brits fall fr that then they are big idiots kkkkkk