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PARTICIPATING in a high-level session at the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, President Mnangagwa reiterated the country’s foreign policy stance.
“Zimbabwe is a sovereign state, and we move on the basis that gives us the best results of our resources, whether it is in relation to the West or the East,” he said, responding to a question on the benefits the country is deriving through its relations with China on one hand, and the West on the other.
“What is primarily important is what we ourselves, as Zimbabweans, are satisfied with. We don’t need to please the West or please the East. We please ourselves.”
That position puts the national interest first, with everything else coming in to nourish it.
Indeed, nations are nations because they exist to pronounce, promote and defend the sovereign interest while not being dictated to or coerced by whomsoever.
Two days earlier, the US had launched a $12bn project under which it would build a reserve of critical minerals to advance its development. The project will entail the US government and US firms investing at home and abroad to secure the minerals.
Giving that policy thrust a Zimbabwean relevance, the US embassy in Harare posted on X on Friday:
“The United States is diversifying its sources for critical minerals around the world. We are ready to engage with Zimbabwe on mutually beneficial supply chain transactions.”
Being one of the globe’s most mineral-rich jurisdictions whose potential remains largely underground, the next few years will be eventful for our country. After sanctioning and demonising Zimbabwe for 25 years, the US has now indicated an intention to engage in “mutually beneficial” transactions.
The US pivot is important for Zimbabwe, a country which seeks to be a friend to all and an enemy to none, yet one which, as the President made clear in the UAE, is sovereign and is geared towards ensuring that its natural resources please it.
The President reiterated the basic framework, thus any discussions, decisions or transactions that will be made in connection with resources will have to serve the national interest, and we will not be unapologetic about it.
The Government must continue to demonstrate strong, patriotic and forward-looking leadership, the kind that does not confuse acquiescence to bad deals with pragmatism.
The country already has a clear legal framework that aims to prevent foreign investors from coming over, extracting our resources and carting them off, leaving us with holes in the ground.
Companies mining lithium, a critical mineral, will, by 2027, not be allowed to export concentrate but only lithium sulphate and better. Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe has led the way by investing in a $300 million lithium sulphate production plant at its Arcadia Mine near Harare.
Other lithium investors are following suit.
There is an old local beneficiation threshold for platinum as well, which has, however, taken quite a long time to take effect. It now must.
We expect to see a tightening of the regulations to deepen the domestic value addition of all minerals, so the resources serve the national interest.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo