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PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is determined to transform the lives of Zimbabweans and the reforms he is implementing will see France advocating for the complete removal of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe, a top French official has said.
French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr Jean-Baptise Lemoyne on Monday said President Mnangagwa wanted change for the people of Zimbabwe and France was pleased with reforms being carried out.
He made the remarks after paying a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa who was attending the 2018 Africa CEO Forum, a gathering which brings together more than 1 600 investors and business leaders.
“We are very aware of the reforms that the new Government wants for Zimbabwe and we are advocating within the European Union the lifting of sanctions,” he said.
“Now we want to be alongside Zimbabwe in order to implement some reforms so that development could be faster. The speech of the President this morning (Monday) was very committed and we feel that he wants change for the people and for the good of Zimbabwe.”
France is a member of EU which imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Mr Lemoyne added: “We stay in touch with the Minister of Finance (Patrick Chinamasa) and the President’s teams in order to advocate to IMF, World Bank and AfDB to allow some measures to help Zimbabwe.”
Minister Chinamasa was recently in France as President Mnangagwa’s special envoy
Mr Lemoyne said French companies will continue investing in Zimbabwe in various sectors of the economy.
This came as the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Dutch transnational consumer goods company Unilever chief executive Mr Paul Polman commended Zimbabwe for its reforms saying accelerated development in the country would “definitely” come after the harmonised elections.
The polls are expected by the end of July.
AfDB president Mr Akinwumi Adesina and Mr Polman separately met President Mnangagwa on Monday.
Mr Polman said investors should start to bring their investments back in Zimbabwe because the new dispensation meant business.
“In our discussion with the President we wanted to have a feel of the direction of the country, which is positive,” he said.
“A lot of people at the global stage are highly interested in making the country successful again. The key thing is that we bring investments back into the country and start to believe in the country again and see that it is a competitive country.”
“The President is very optimistic and is obviously looking forward to elections in July. I think it is after elections that we can see accelerated pace of development in the country.”
Mr Polman said Unilever had a long history in Zimbabwe, having been there since 1943.
“We have continued to make investments in good and bad times,” Mr Polman said
For AfDB, Mr Adesina said he was impressed by President Mnangagwa’s commitment during his address at the official opening of the 2018 ACF.
“I think every time he speaks, we get more confident that Zimbabwe is on the right track both in terms of micro economic policies and environment being put in place. They are attracting a lot of private sector into Zimbabwe.”
He said it was clear President Mnangagwa was committed to reforms.
Said Mr Adesina: “(During his address) he was very clear. He has very strong commitment to political reforms and stability of the country and great determination to get Zimbabwe to be open for business.”
On Zimbabwe’s debt to multilateral financial institutions, he said: “We have all along having been that discussion. Just about a week ago a team from AfDB and World Bank went to Zimbabwe to discuss about that. Those conversations are going on and I think that with time, we will be able to get to the kind of solutions that we collectively desire.”
Online Reporter