via Zanu (PF) will thwart progress says former minister | The Zimbabwean by Edgar Gweshe 08.10.13
President Robert Mugabe’s disputed election victory and his party’s hard-line attitude is set to hold back Zimbabwe’s efforts to re-engage with Western countries, a former cabinet minister has said.
In an interview with The Zimbabwean, the former minister of energy and power development, Elton Mangoma, who was part of Zimbabwe’s re-engagement team, said the “flawed” results of the July 31 elections went against conditions for the restoration of normal economic and political relations between the West and Harare.
In April last year, Mangoma, along with Zanu (PF)’s Patrick Chinamasa and the MDC’s Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga, travelled to the United Kingdom for a meeting with British parliamentarians aimed at finding ways of restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The meeting was organised by Friends of Zimbabwe, a group of donor nations including Japan, Australia, the USA and Canada, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
London said the manner in which the election was conducted would be a condition for a return to normal relations and adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude.
Mangoma said that although Western countries might have been willing to restore their relations with Zimbabwe, the situation had now been complicated by the fact that “the elections were stolen”.
“I believe that the stolen election does create a dilemma for those countries in the sense that if they move to re-engage Zimbabwe, it would seem as if they were rewarding unruly behaviour. Also, there are some elements within Zanu (PF) whom I think would want to see those targeted measures remaining in place because they would want to use them as an excuse for failing to deliver,” said Mangoma.
Last week, the Zanu (PF) Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa, told The Zimbabwean that his party would not make efforts to mend relations with the West. The bloc “will come to us on their knees”, he added, citing Zimbabwe’s untapped natural resources that he claimed to be a major stimulant for international co-operation.
Mutasa said his party would depend on its ‘look East’ policy, which has, however, come under fire from analysts who say that it has done little to aid economic growth.
COMMENTS
On their knees, shame on you. Who needs the West more than than the other. Your people are kanguishing i poverty and yu think we will come to you on our knees.
Mangoma its not nice to be negative about your country. Elections are long gone you should be preparing for the next elections that you may be able to influence in way. Its high time people should be positive about things of national interest. We can not dwell on election results as if it will change. Talk positive about your country so that people follow you with hope. Tell your followers what positive options you have with your party to mitigate your perceived defects of the current or future Zimbabwe. Don’t waste time by crying about spilled milk. Your party spend how many yrs crying for the appointment of bennet? Where is he now, was it worth it? Show the country that you are Progressive zimbabwean and you are not a puopert.
You Africanson you are just too African for sure. What makes u think that this ZANU pf gvt will deliver in 5 years what they failed since 1980. U seem to forget that galloping inflation of 2008 and before. Which Zimbabwe do u live in Is it Zimbabwe from Mars. As long as Zim gvt don’t engage the west the suffering will continue.SIMPLE
There is one Zimbabwe dummy!. This is the new millenium, I don’t need to be in Zimbabwe to know and talk about Zimbabwe. I am 100% African yes too African for your liking and i can never be otherwise and I sm proud to be African you pompous cow. Idiot who are you to ask where I reside?
It seems a blaming game will never come to an end with MDC blaming the elections and ZANU blaming the sanctions – can’t we grow beyond that as a nation.
Absolutey yes, Joseph not what this dunce called nesbert majoni is saying. He thinks that staying out of aftica makes you become UnAfrican. We need to grow beyond the present. I am not abusive normally but this guy asked for it
Read his post again.Me thinks you got it all wrong and need to apologise.