Zimbabwe ready to work with Donald Trump

Zimbabwe is ready to work with the incoming Republican administration in the United States following Mr Donald Trump's crushing victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in presidential elections held on Tuesday.Mr Trump, who will be sworn in on January 17 next year, becomes the 45th US president.

Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Chris Mushohwe said that it was Government's hope that the Trump administration would restore sound relations that existed between Harare and Washington.

Zimbabwe, he said, wanted to maintain good relations with Washington and at no point had it tried to pick a fight with the US.

Said Dr Mushohwe: "Zimbabwe respects the wishes of the people of America. The American people have spoken and that is their wish and as Zimbabwe, we respect their wish. We can only hope that the new regime will foster a relationship that we always had with the USA.

"Zimbabwe has never had any quarrel with America and does not need to have any quarrel with America. The new government will restore our long time relationship that we have enjoyed with the American people. We can only be happy for the people of America who have made a choice and their choice is their democratic and constitutional choice, which we must respect."

Dr Mushohwe said Mr Trump's acceptance speech was encouraging as it promoted world peace and cooperation between the US and progressive nations of the world.

Dr Mushohwe added: "As Zimbabwe, we cannot pre-judge the new government. It could actually be a better government than the previous government."

Zimbabwe-US relations were not as good as they could have been with the outgoing (Barrack) Obama government maintaining illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe despite spirited re-engagement efforts by Harare. Although in the last days of his administration, the Obama regime removed Industrial Development Corporation and fertiliser manufacturing entity Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company from the sanctions list, the regime maintained the sanctions law – the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act which has had devastating effects on Zimbabwe's economy.