Opinion / Columnist
EU must learn from Belgium
25 Apr 2014 at 18:15hrs | Views
It appears some countries in the European block are beginning to realise that the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are just a matter of a bilateral issue that does not benefit them in any way. Belgium is one such a nation that has come out of the hood. It was at the forefront of lobbying for the lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe's diamonds. Through the Antwerp World Diamond Center, the European nation subsequently became the largest buyer of Chiadzwa diamonds.
Belgium realised the threat that Dubai, an emerging diamond marke, was posing to it. Although the move was motivated by this threat, it is nevertheless paying dividends for Belgium while other EU countries are seeing it hard to swallow their pride.
As this massive foreign injection improves the macro economic growth of Zimbabwe, the purchase of the tobacco also boosts Belgium's economy. It is a symbiotic transaction that other European countries must emulate.
It is not only Zimbabwe that suffers out of the embargoes. Europe's growth was propped up by resources plundered from Africa over a century. Thus, Europe needs Zimbabwe as much as Zimbabwe needs Europe. The look east policy, that is bearing fruits despite a deluge of criticism, shows that Zimbabwe is not very desperate for economic friends.
Source - Tafara Shumba
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