Commonwealth maintains tough stance on Zimbabwe

THE Commonwealth has reportedly told Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to implement a raft of reforms for the Southern African country to be readmitted back into the league.

Mnangagwa, who attended the coronation of King Charles III in Britain over the weekend, waved his re-engagement hand as he engaged Commonwealth secretary general Patricia Scotland.

Zimbabwe's bid to re-join the Commonwealth is part of the Mnangagwa administration's drive to reengage with the international community after about two decades of isolation.

Zimbabwe under then-leader Robert Mugabe left Commonwealth in 2003 at the height of the land reform programme which was characterised by violence against white commercial farmers.

Commonwealth has demanded that Zimbabwe implement political reforms to be readmitted back into the group of 56 mainly former British colonies.

On the sidelines of the coronation, Mnangagwa, whose invitation stirred controversy, met with the Commonwealth's secretary-general, Mrs Patricia Scotland, in what was a key engagement in Zimbabwe's plans to re-join the bloc

The Commonwealth has previously insisted that readmission into the group hinges on Zimbabwe fulfilling "several rigorous steps" to ensure adherence to principles such as peace and democracy.

And after Saturday's meeting Scotland said they had discussed Zimbabwe's application to re-join the Commonwealth and reaffirmed the need for the country to commit to the bloc's values.

The Commonwealth values, which include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism and world peace, emerged in independence movements and the struggles for self-government.

"Pleased to welcome the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa to Marlborough House for a courtesy call. The President and I discussed a range of issues, including Zimbabwe's ongoing application to re-join Commonwealth and reaffirmed the commitment to the values of the Commonwealth," said Scotland in a tweet.

Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold a general election between July and August. But many opposition figures say they are already battling intense government repression similar to that during Mugabe's lengthy iron-fisted rule.

Since his ascension to power through a military-assisted takeover in 2017 that toppled Mugabe, Mnangagwa has sought to rebuild broken relations with the West and Britain.

Last year Commonwealth dispatched an envoy led by Luis Franceschi to assess progress made by Zimbabwe to be readmitted back.

However Presidential spokesperson George Charamba using the pseudonym Tinoedzazvimwe on Twitter claimed Mnangagwa's meeting with Scotland was a significant step for Zimbabwe's readmission into Commonwealth.

"His Excellency the President, DR ED Mnangagwa, has just met Baroness Scotland, the secret general of the Commonwealth. The meeting reviewed progress Zimbabwe has made along the road to readmission," read the tweet.