dyton mupawaenda
Zvamaida Murwira and Ivan Zhakata
ZIMBABWE’s global profile continues to soar phenomenally since independence, with Harare’s election into the United Nations Security Council for a non-permanent seat, showing that the country is globally a uniting figure and can be trusted by all, Government officials, analysts and other nations have said.
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe garnered 182 votes from a possible 190 to land the powerful seat in New York, the United Nations headquarters.
Writing on his X handle yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson and Deputy Chief Secretary (Presidential Communications), Mr George Charamba, said Zimbabwe’s election into the UNSC for the third time since independence, with an incremental number of votes, showed that the country was in the hands of good leadership.
“Zimbabwe’s ever soaring global profile: Zimbabwe’s successful bid yesterday into the United Nations Security Council has a splendid history behind it.
“Two years into Independence, in 1982, Zimbabwe made its debut in the Security Council of the United Nations. It secured this in the first round by collecting 138 votes.
“About a decade later, in 1990, Zimbabwe was again in the running for the prestigious Security Council seat. It garnered 146 votes, again in the first round. The result marked a numerical appreciation of eight votes, which is a lot in global country terms,” said Mr Charamba.
“The rise meant Zimbabwe’s stature had risen in the eyes of the world. Yesterday, some 36 years after her second successful bid, support for Zimbabwe soared to an extraordinary 182 votes, again going through in the first round.”
He said the overwhelming support for Zimbabwe showed that it equally got favour from the five permanent members that usually have the potential to tilt the voting pattern because of their huge influence.
The five permanent members are the United States of America, Britain, France, China and Russia.
“Although the ballot for the Security Council seat is secret, the historical trend clearly reveals Zimbabwe as a non-polarising candidate, whether read by rounds or by numbers collected.
“This is remarkable where Permanent Members of the Security Council tend to balkanise the voting pattern, as do local rivalries. Incorporating other global indices, principally foreign direct investment and tourism, it is clear we are a nation ably led, widely admired and in the middle of an inexorable march,” said Mr Charamba.
He said the core message of peace, security and justice in the management of world affairs showed Zimbabwe had a resonating message.
“This is buttressed by a general feeling that Zimbabwe has always proceeded on independence of thought, and on a principled approach to world affairs.
“Zimbabwe thus can be trusted, with its welcoming foreign policy of a friend to all and enemy to none, providing a broad church to a tension-filled world,” said Mr Charamba.
He said engagement and re-engagement, the country’s foreign policy strategy under President Mnangagwa, was paying dividends.
“The strategy of engagement and re-engagement has enabled the country to repair, regain and gain, thus always expanding the pool of allies and friends.
“At home in SADC and on the African continent, Zimbabwe has led its immediate subregion and is set to take over the leadership of COMESA this year, itself a double! All that is the hallmark of the Second Republic under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa,” Mr Charamba said.
Political analysts have since hailed Zimbabwe’s election, saying it negated a Western perception that portrayed the country as a pariah State.
Harare-based political analyst, Mr Obert Gutu, said the election would reposition the country in geopolitical conversations.
“Being branded a pariah State meant that Zimbabwe was portrayed as an extremely unsafe, hostile and dangerous investment destination. Although being a non-permanent member of the UNSC doesn’t grant Zimbabwe veto powers, it tremendously helps in repositioning the country as a progressive nation State whose voice is influential on the global stage,” said Mr Gutu.
Another analyst, Dr Gay Mufambi, said since independence, Zimbabwe has demonstrated that it was a peace builder following a policy of reconciliation with its erstwhile colonisers.
“What Wednesday’s vote confirms is that the global majority of 182 sovereign nations never accepted the pariah label. They merely waited for Zimbabwe to create the conditions to step fully back into the room,” said Dr Mufambi, who is a development commentator, trainer and resource person at the Chitepo School of Ideology.
Another analyst, Dr Norbert Hosho, said the election would open many doors for the country.
“The trust of 182 nations recalibrates how lenders, investors and institutions assess Zimbabwe’s risk profile and openness to engagement, unlocking possibilities that years of diplomatic isolation had placed out of reach.
“Ultimately, Zimbabwe has undergone a profound transformation in its international identity- from a country once defined by exclusion to one now charged with helping to maintain world peace and security,” said Dr Hosho.
Meanwhile, congratulatory messages have poured in following Zimbabwe’s election into the UNSC.
In congratulating Zimbabwe, the African union said: “Congratulations to Zimbabwe for its election at the UN today (yesterday), as a Non-Permanent African Group Member of the UNSC with an overwhelming majority of 182 out of 190 valid ballots, for the term 2027–2028”.
The State of Palestine weighed in with its Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dr Tamer Almassri, saying the election reflected the confidence and respect Zimbabwe enjoys within the international community.
“As Zimbabwe prepares to take its seat at the horseshoe table, the State of Palestine is confident that the Republic of Zimbabwe will serve as a powerful voice for the Global South,” he said.
Ambassador Almassri remained appreciative of Zimbabwe’s longstanding solidarity with the Palestinian people and looked forward to strengthening bilateral ties.
China also described the election as recognition of the country’s valuable contribution to global peace, multilateralism and sustainable development.
“China looks forward to deepening cooperation with Zimbabwe both within the UNSC framework and across broader fields,” reads a statement posted on the Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe’s X handle.
The Republic of Korea also welcomed Zimbabwe’s election with its Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Park Jae Kyung, saying they look forward to working closely with Zimbabwe.
“We look forward to working closely with Zimbabwe in promoting international peace, security, and multilateral cooperation.”
The Embassy of Italy in Zimbabwe also hailed the development and described it as an important diplomatic milestone for the country.
“The Embassy of Italy in Harare congratulates Zimbabwe on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term. We wish Zimbabwe every success in contributing to international peace, security and multilateral cooperation,” reads a statement from the embassy.
The Security Council is the United Nations’ principal organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
Its responsibilities include adopting binding resolutions, ensuring global peace and authorising peacekeeping operations.
Online Reporter