Conference gives thumbs up to EU re-engagement

Nyore Madzianike, in GWERU

THE just-ended 20th ZANU PF National People’s Conference has resolved to enhance Zimbabwe’s re-engagement with the European Union (EU) and lend its support to Government’s debt resolution and arrears clearance programme.

Addressing journalists after the conference, ZANU PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said the conference resolutions will be released in full soon.

The party’s Secretary for Legal Affairs, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, is said to have presented the resolutions before they were “unanimously endorsed by the delegates”.

He emphasised the country’s commitment to dialogue with the EU.

“There was a report on the engagement and re-engagement aspect of Zimbabwe’s debt issues,” he said.

“We are confident that along the way, we will be able to resolve the Zimbabwe debt issue so that this country will be able to go and borrow money for big infrastructure projects which are commensurate with the big investments by the private sector in Zimbabwe.”

The conference, Ambasaddor Mutsvangwa said, resolved that there was need for Zimbabwe to access funds from multilateral financiers.

“We need access to cheaper money from the World Bank,” he said.

“We are saying to the EU, which is the main partner in this engagement process, we are very much committed to the re-engagement process and the dialogue, which makes it possible for Zimbabwe to come to an understanding with its major debtors so that we can then resolve the debt issues.”

He said the country has “great capacity” to settle its debts considering its vast mineral endowments.

He said deliberations during the indaba focused on ways to speed up the country’s development.

“Delegates took part in discussions and after getting reports, they were broken down into committees. More than seven committees debated on the day-to-day lives of the people of Zimbabwe. We were able to discuss every aspect of the Zimbabwe economy.

“I am happy to say out of the seven committees which were set up, we came up with a raft of resolutions that have been submitted and were given to delegates for overall consideration.”

Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the conference also resolved to call for peace in the Middle East.

The conference ran under the theme “Towards Vision 2030 through Devolution, Industrialisation and Modernisation”.