News / National
USA keen to normalise relations with Zimbabwe
17 Apr 2013 at 00:12hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday met an envoy from the US State Department who said his country was keen to normalise relations with Zimbabwe ahead of harmonised elections scheduled to be held by midnight June 29 when the life of the Seventh Parliament ends.
The State Department dispatched its former ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Andrew Young, who met President Mugabe for over two hours at his Munhumutapa Offices to convey the message of reconciliation.
The US move, which comes on the heels of similar overtures from Britain and its allies who invited the Zimbabwe re-engagement team to London for talks last month, and the Commercial Farmers' Union that said it wanted to re-engage Zanu-PF, analysts say, indicates that MDC-T's handlers have realised that the regime change agenda has aborted and MDC-T cannot form the next government.
Speaking after meeting President Mugabe, Mr Young said the US wanted to normalise relations. "The State Department has asked me to come visit and just to say that we have Zimbabwe in our hearts and that we would like to see relations with Zimbabwe resume as they were pre the problems," he said.
The Anglo-Saxon alliance that brings together Britain, the US and their allies, revealed that it had poured US$2,6 billion into the regime change agenda over the past few years.
The Commercial Farmers' Union, which brought together white former farmers, said it had abandoned its fight against land reform and now wanted to work with President Mugabe and be considered for resettlement with other Zimbabweans.
Since the turn of the millennium, the CFU poured millions of dollars into MDC-T in the hope of effecting regime change and a reversal of the land reform programme.
CFU vice-president Mr Peter Steyl said they could not continue "swimming against the tide" by continuously opposing land reform.
Western media, among them CNN, The Guardian and New York Times, recently attacked Mr Tsvangirai, saying his public image had been soiled by his sexual escapades while corruption within the rank and file of the party would play against his party at the polls.
Several recent opinion polls pointed to a Zanu-PF victory in the harmonised elections Mr Young condemned the illegal sanctions regime, saying the sanctions should be removed.
"I should say I have never particularly approved of the sanctions personally, but I have never been able to get rid of them," he said.
"But I think we have an administration now that is ready to move beyond sanctions, but we need reassurance that Zimbabwe is as peaceful and as positive a society I think it is."
Mr Young said various media houses locally and abroad had tried to paint a negative picture of the country and said Zimbabweans should unite and promote a positive image.
"I hope to see a beginning of freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity in Zimbabwe and I think the US government would like to help with that and I think that everybody in Zimbabwe, whatever their party, whatever their opinion, whatever their race or creed, has got to realise we are on the same side and when you realise that you will realise we (US) are ready to be on that side with you," he said.
Mr Young commended the indigenisation and economic empowerment drive and the land reform programme, saying more support for new farmers was needed to improve productivity.
"Well, from what I know about it, it has been very successful, but I also know there is always not enough seed, enough fertiliser, but with help it (production) can multiply ten-fold," he said. Mr Young said Zimbabwe had done well since its attainment of independence in 1980.
"Considering what the world has gone through, I think Zimbabwe is doing fairly well, but we have to do better and we have to do better economically and I have always seen Zimbabwe as almost the crown jewel in Africa and that it should be one of the booming economies," he said.
Mr Young supported the nationalists fighting against colonialism and opposed the internal settlement of Ian Smith, Abel Muzorewa and Ndabaningi Sithole.
He played a pivotal role at the Lancaster House negotiations that brought the country's independence.
Mr Young also served in the US Congress in the 1970s before his ambassadorial appointment and was mayor of Atlanta between 1981 and 1989.
The State Department dispatched its former ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Andrew Young, who met President Mugabe for over two hours at his Munhumutapa Offices to convey the message of reconciliation.
The US move, which comes on the heels of similar overtures from Britain and its allies who invited the Zimbabwe re-engagement team to London for talks last month, and the Commercial Farmers' Union that said it wanted to re-engage Zanu-PF, analysts say, indicates that MDC-T's handlers have realised that the regime change agenda has aborted and MDC-T cannot form the next government.
Speaking after meeting President Mugabe, Mr Young said the US wanted to normalise relations. "The State Department has asked me to come visit and just to say that we have Zimbabwe in our hearts and that we would like to see relations with Zimbabwe resume as they were pre the problems," he said.
The Anglo-Saxon alliance that brings together Britain, the US and their allies, revealed that it had poured US$2,6 billion into the regime change agenda over the past few years.
The Commercial Farmers' Union, which brought together white former farmers, said it had abandoned its fight against land reform and now wanted to work with President Mugabe and be considered for resettlement with other Zimbabweans.
Since the turn of the millennium, the CFU poured millions of dollars into MDC-T in the hope of effecting regime change and a reversal of the land reform programme.
CFU vice-president Mr Peter Steyl said they could not continue "swimming against the tide" by continuously opposing land reform.
Western media, among them CNN, The Guardian and New York Times, recently attacked Mr Tsvangirai, saying his public image had been soiled by his sexual escapades while corruption within the rank and file of the party would play against his party at the polls.
Several recent opinion polls pointed to a Zanu-PF victory in the harmonised elections Mr Young condemned the illegal sanctions regime, saying the sanctions should be removed.
"I should say I have never particularly approved of the sanctions personally, but I have never been able to get rid of them," he said.
"But I think we have an administration now that is ready to move beyond sanctions, but we need reassurance that Zimbabwe is as peaceful and as positive a society I think it is."
Mr Young said various media houses locally and abroad had tried to paint a negative picture of the country and said Zimbabweans should unite and promote a positive image.
"I hope to see a beginning of freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity in Zimbabwe and I think the US government would like to help with that and I think that everybody in Zimbabwe, whatever their party, whatever their opinion, whatever their race or creed, has got to realise we are on the same side and when you realise that you will realise we (US) are ready to be on that side with you," he said.
Mr Young commended the indigenisation and economic empowerment drive and the land reform programme, saying more support for new farmers was needed to improve productivity.
"Well, from what I know about it, it has been very successful, but I also know there is always not enough seed, enough fertiliser, but with help it (production) can multiply ten-fold," he said. Mr Young said Zimbabwe had done well since its attainment of independence in 1980.
"Considering what the world has gone through, I think Zimbabwe is doing fairly well, but we have to do better and we have to do better economically and I have always seen Zimbabwe as almost the crown jewel in Africa and that it should be one of the booming economies," he said.
Mr Young supported the nationalists fighting against colonialism and opposed the internal settlement of Ian Smith, Abel Muzorewa and Ndabaningi Sithole.
He played a pivotal role at the Lancaster House negotiations that brought the country's independence.
Mr Young also served in the US Congress in the 1970s before his ambassadorial appointment and was mayor of Atlanta between 1981 and 1989.
Source - TH
