Chronicle Editor
Ranga Mataire, Group Political Editor
AN undeniable fact emerging out of the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, is that the President of Zimbabwe, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, is a diplomatic maestro. He is not given to bamboozling speeches but makes sure his message endures beyond any international forum.
A smooth and pragmatic operator, President Mnangagwa made sure that as world leaders left UNGA, none left without a clear understanding of the odds Zimbabwe has had to endure for over two decades under the yoke of economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies.
Previously, Zimbabwe was a lone voice against the measures. Now, because of effective diplomacy, it is no longer Zimbabwe alone that is leading the clarion call for sanctions removal.
In an unprecedented move, African leaders were unequivocal in calling for the removal of sanctions. They made it clear that the sanctions are impeding development, not just in Zimbabwe, but in the whole region.
And even before UNGA, it was evident that Zimbabwe was to become a topical issue when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met the United States President Joe Biden. President Ramaphosa made it clear that the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe had become an albatross to regional development.
After President Ramaphosa had set the tone, it was now the turn of Presidents Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Hage Geingob of Namibia, William Ruto of Kenya and the DRC President, Felix Tshisekedi (Sadc chair), as well as the African Union chairperson President Macky Sall from Senegal, to say enough is enough on the unilateral coercive measures.
Rarely has the African bloc spoken with one voice on an issue affecting a fellow country on an international forum like the United Nations General Assembly. It was a heartening feeling for most Africans to witness African leaders clearly resisting any arm-twisting and challenging a maladjusted global system that fails to protect weaker and smaller nations.
The message from the African bloc was unambiguous. It had the effect of making the US look like as a bully unwilling to engage in fair play and ready to coerce smaller nations into playing ball, even to the detriment of the welfare of the general populace.
The United States may decide to delay the removal of the sanctions, but they have lost the diplomatic battle on sanctions. With their army of international media outlets and willing local askaris, the narrative on international platforms has been lost to lowly Zimbabwe. What they remain with, as shown in subsequent interviews given by US officials, is little more than bitterness.
At the UNGA, President Mnangagwa, a lawyer and astute diplomat, chose to stick by his prepared speech. He did not spew anger or hate. Instead, he focused on efforts Zimbabwe was undertaking to improve people’s livelihoods despite the yoke of sanctions.
He did not need to scream. His colleagues had done the work. His only mention of sanctions was in the context of the recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur, which again clearly stated that sanctions have an adverse impact on the lives of ordinary people.
He focused on much broader issues of the current global financial architecture, which he said had “demonstrated its inadequacies to address challenges” that confront developing nations. He called for a global financial system that is just, inclusive, and responsive to the challenges of developing nations.
President Mnangagwa reaffirmed his commitment to the United Nations Charter and the principles of multilateralism.
“The United Nations remains a beacon and a source of hope for the global citizenry. As leaders we have a weighty burden and a responsibility to make the United Nations deliver to the expectations of all the peoples of this world,” said President Mnangagwa.
There are those fellow compatriots who feel that sanctions give them a competitive political advantage, and so they have been campaigning for their stay.
Most of the compatriots are non-state players in the opposition and some individual activists who have been cashing in on the anti-Zimbabwe crusade. We saw them even hijack protests from other countries outside the New York picket lines, a sure sign of desperation for a megaphone.
We must not forget that some make a living out of creating negative narratives about Zimbabwe. It explains why they are angry with African leaders. The clarion calls against sanctions from inside the UNGA drowned out all side shows. They and their US handlers were outplayed diplomatically.
With the noise fading in the background, and the job done at the UN, President Mnangagwa went on to engage potential investors from Zimbabwe and elsewhere.
Here is a man on a mission. Riding on the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” initiative, the President is conscious that no country is an island. He is charting a new path where the country is a friend to all and an enemy to none.
As the leader of the Second Republic, the President is sticking to his inauguration promise to “leave no place and no one behind.” He has made it clear that whatever misunderstandings that may have subsisted in the past, these should make way for a new beginning in a global world where “no nation is, can, or need be an island, one unto itself.”
For some, the UNGA was supposed to be some diplomatic minefield for the President. They spent weeks online convincing themselves of this. In the end, they could only shout from the periphery while Zimbabwe’s voice was amplified. Two things were clear; there is no substitute for experience in foreign policy. Second, Africa has no space for hired voices.
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