British envoy commends Zim reforms 

Source: British envoy commends Zim reforms | The Herald May 8, 2019

zanu-PF secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu speaks to British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melaine Robinson at the Revolutionary Party headquarters in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Kudakwashe Hunda)

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Britain is backing various political and economic reforms adopted by the Government to turn around the country’s economy.

This was said by British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melanie Robinson when she paid a courtesy call on Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu at his Zanu-PF Headquarters offices in Harare yesterday.

The meeting was also attended by the ruling party’s Politburo members, who included Cdes Cleveria Chizema, Sydney Sekeramayi and Josaya Hungwe.

“We had a good opportunity to discuss the UK-Zimbabwe relationship and I was able to assure the chairman (read Secretary for Administration) of the UK’s commitment to seeing Zimbabwe succeed and our desire to see Zimbabwe along its pathway to a more prosperous, peaceful and democratic future,” she said.

“I was able to express our support for the reforms the President has laid out on the economic and political side and that those reforms are meaningful and sustained and to say the more Zimbabwe is able to reform, the more the UK is able to engage and support that reform process. We had a very productive discussion around those issues.”

Cde Mpofu said the discussions centred on Government’s reform agenda.

“The discussion we had this morning revolved around reforms; constitutional reforms, the land policy, the Motlanthe Commission, economic issues to do with the sanctions, the issues to do with our currency and other related issues,” Cde Mpofu  said.

“But I can assure you that the meeting was very helpful in terms of issues topical between us. On the issue of the Commonwealth, the ambassador spoke strongly about the need for Zimbabwe to go back to the Commonwealth.”

Illegal Western sanctions are making it difficult for Government to turn around the economy.

The embargo denies the country lines of credit vital to revitalise the economy.

The African Union (AU), Sadc and progressive members of the international community have called for the removal of sanctions to enable Zimbabwe turn around her economy, but those who have imposed the embargo are reluctant to do  so.

Government has adopted a number of policy measures that include opening up the economy and aligning laws with the Constitution to create an enabling environment for investors.

The reform policy is outlined in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), whose aim is to lay the foundation for a middle-income economy by the year 2030.