EU-Zimbabwe re-engagement Prudent

The EU-Zimbabwe re-engagement effort is the most prudent thing which is envisaged to end one and half decades old conflicts between the two parties. It is anticipated that the existing diplomatic row will be ended when they agree on the best way forward.

This engagement process should yield mutual benefits to both sides and create a win-win situation. To that effect, it is therefore imperative that an inclusive Memorandum of understanding (MOU) is set, and then deliberated upon in good faith bearing in mind that these are equal partners who contribute to the well-being of each other.

 The economic sanctions which the EU imposed on Zimbabwe crippled the economy to the detriment of ordinary citizens who are grappling with these effects till this day. This resulted in an alarming rate at which the economy faced a recession which forced many industries to close down thereby laying–off labour force. This created some social upheavals as the unemployed manpower struggled to make ends meet. This assaulted directly the government revenue base in reduction of taxes from workers and operating companies.

Eventually the government was unable to fund its core mandate of service delivery to the population. This made people vulnerable to poor service delivery in sectors such as education and health. The working category was forced to seek green pastures elsewhere leading to acute brain drain.

In brief, this is what Zimbabweans endured since the fall-out with the European Union. Now time has come for us to bury our differences and open a new slate as we negotiate to wipe out these problems which cropped up owing to the afore-mentioned state of affairs.

As this re-engagement comes along, the most ordinary citizen is expecting resuscitation of the manufacturing sector to enhance availability of basic goods on the local market which presently is flooded with imports. The anticipated benefit here is reduction in prices as well as creation of jobs in industry. This would reactivate government revenue base in taxes as well.

The local economy has been anchored on the land as an agrarian economy. Therefore, we also need to sit down and rationalize our interests on the land with the core objective of stirring productivity on the land.

 In reciprocation, Zimbabwe is ready to satisfy the rational ideals of the European Union. We should safeguard against the notion of big-brother versus young-brother on this issue. We are equal partners with natural rights, but we need to co-exist at multilateral level.

Zimbabweans should derive motivations from the ongoing re-engagement efforts of the European Union which pledges a multimillion dollar rescue package from Brussels for the government. Surely if this is coming genuinely with no selfish strings attached to it, we should embrace it for recapitalization of our economy to boost the macro-economic drivers.

If the EU is operating in good faith, certainly this would pave way for normalization of economic relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union. We pray that what the Head of the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe Ambassador Aldo Dell'Ariccia said is real when he is quoted saying, "The EU remains committed to re-engaging with Zimbabwe and we have the evidence of the re-engagement in action.'

Dell'Ariccia further went on to say the consultations with civil society organisations and Members of Parliament represent a key step in the process of finalising the National Indicative Programme that will help to improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans. Dell'Ariccia gave glamour of hope when he stated category that the European Council had unanimously noted that there are no major violations to the democratic process in Zimbabwe, and therefore, on November 1, 2014 the restrictive measures would be completely removed.

The narcotizing fact with EU is that, they have the obligation to protect and secure its economic interests in Zimbabwe through the removal of the targeted measures. The Belgium based Antwerp World Diamond Council declared that it lobbied forcefully on behalf of the ruling ZANU PF party to accelerate the scrapping-off of the illegal measures with the prime objective of defending their economic interests.

Calls by some critics like Economist and social commentator, Vince Musewe, who said this re-engagement only helps "entrench Mugabe's dictatorship," are misguided. Taking confrontational strategy proved useless in the past one and a half decades. The EU knows this reality better than everyone else. Therefore, this is the opportune time for consultative re-engagement as opposed to no-functional strategies which failed to yield results in the past.
Further perpetuation of maligning President Mugabe will prove hazardous to the ordinary citizens who have been subjected to the damaging effects of the so-called restrictive measures imposed on the country. We need to move forward by finding options which rescue this desperate situation.

All of us should rally behind diplomats like Laurent Delahousse, the Ambassador of France in Zimbabwe, who addressed delegates in Harare recently on the occasion of France's Bastille Day pronouncing that, "on November 1 this year EU would resume its direct co-operation with the Government of Zimbabwe, and the European Development Fund will start assisting in the implementation of ZimAsset which is earmarked to turn around the economic fortunes of this country."

The recent call by the Movement for Democratic Change leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, warning the EU against a hurried Zimbabwe re-engagement driven by "selfish interests" at the expense of democracy are null and void. Zimbabweans need not to remain as political elements all the time, but to progress and develop on other facets of live. We cannot always keep ourselves preparing for polls every time. We need to pursue national interests, not personal ambitions such as those haboured in Morgan Tsvangirai, especially if he is the historical proponent of these crippling sanctions which are bedeviling us as a nation.

Meanwhile we are under the impulse to take reasonable and momentous reconciliatory steps towards alleviating this nuisance problem which is making our lives difficult.