Mwonzora calls for Zimbabwe to rejoin the club of ex-British colonies

Douglas Mwonzora, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, has called for Zimbabwe to rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations to promote economic prosperity.

Speaking in Bulawayo, Mwonzora highlighted the benefits of rejoining, such as enhanced trade relations with Western nations and access to Commonwealth scholarships for Zimbabwean students.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in March 2002 after then-President Robert Mugabe was accused of election rigging and persecuting opponents. The suspension was maintained, leading Zimbabwe to withdraw from the Commonwealth in December 2003. The country began efforts to rejoin the Commonwealth in 2018, following Mugabe's ousting in a 2017 military coup, but progress has been stalled due to ongoing human rights violations and issues with the rule of law.

Mwonzora criticized the continued isolation of Zimbabwe, emphasizing the negative economic and social impacts. He expressed a desire for the country to be internationally integrated and congratulated the Labour Party of Britain on their electoral victory, seeing it as an inspiration for Zimbabwe.