Online Reporter
THE steady improvement in relations between Zimbabwe and Britain towards normality, highlighted this week with a visit by UK Minister for Africa Lord Collins of Highbury that included cordial discussions with President Mnangagwa, has reset what has often been a difficult relationship over the past 135 years.
The visit and public statements are largely a sign of progress already made and the high-degree of normality existing in British-Zimbabwe relations and with both countries now seeing more progress as desirable, we can expect further improvements.
The long period of shared history means there will always be important business, economic and other connections and so everything will be a lot easier if the two countries are at least on speaking terms and preferably doing somewhat better.
After a long period of colonisation, Britain did work to bring independence to Zimbabwe, against the wishes of a largely British-origin settler population and for a couple of decades relations were good.
Then land reform produced a serious reaction in Britain, cuts in ties and sanctions.
The advent of the Second Republic at least started a process of normalisation.
Part of this was acknowledgement of the reforms of the Second Republic, done not because they were ordered by outsiders, but because they were wanted by Zimbabweans and were required by our people-derived Constitution.
This included the Constitutionally-required deal on compensation for improvements with the former commercial farmers affected by land reform, a deal that Zimbabwe is implementing with annual payments.
Everyone notes that would be sped up once the process of dealing with debt arrears and debt rescheduling, now in progress, has been sorted out and that in turn has meant more progress on Zimbabwe being able to normalise ties with everyone else.
But the compensation deal ended the main reasons for the dispute between Britain and Zimbabwe, and along with Zimbabwe’s patient, but continuous re-engagement diplomacy, has seen the steady normalisation of relations with another batch of sanctions, including the last sanctions against a company rather than an individual, being lifted recently.
Ending sanctions, especially when companies are involved, removes a lot of the collateral damage from a sanctions regime.
Just one example was the need for British banks doing their routine function of accepting and making payments for their British customers, but making sure that they did not breach any of the restrictions by indirectly involving a sanctioned entity.
The checks required could be expensive and chew up the entire profit on a modest deal, so it was easier to refuse to bother.
The European Union has made more progress in normalisation, with all sanctions now dropped, but Britain has not been far behind.
The declaration by Lord Collins of the British commitment to building a partnership with Zimbabwe based on equality and respect pushes that progress forward faster, since this is where Zimbabwe would like to be as well.
Our principle foreign policy is to be a friend to all and enemy of none, so it is pleasant when others respond positively.
The Second Republic’s diplomacy continually stresses the need for normal relations, plus expanding trade and business with the accompanying mantra being “Zimbabwe is open for business.”
The President stressed this yet again in this week’s meeting.
Lord Collins went further than just the political and State meetings. He also made contact with British businesses operating in Zimbabwe and encouraged them to expand operations and increase investment.
This is fairly normal in international business and investment, but it is difficult to imagine that British businesses would have got the same encouragement 10 years ago. Now the British Government is asking them how it can help, so we have moved a long way.
So once again we have another practical sign of the normality that has grown up in relations between the two countries and where we hope that we will see more business and more trade, something that has been happening with other European countries after normalisation was, for all practical purposes, complete.
All international relations are built on mutual benefit, or at least all relations that are going to last are so built. And much of the mutual benefit comes from more business and more trade, with Governments seeing how they can facilitate these economic ties.
Lord Collins stressed that a major part of his job was to build partnerships with the simple mission of economic growth, so creating the win-win positions that benefit both Britain and Africa.
Since this fits in so well with Zimbabwe’s own diplomatic agenda it seems possible to now assume that British-Zimbabwe ties will continue to warm.
