FORMER British Prime Minister Tony Blair has made a major climbdown and pledged to support Zimbabwe’s economic recovery by joining the anti-sanctions lobby to remove the punitive measures which he imposed together with the United States’ then leader President George W Bush when he was still leader of that country, President Mnangagwa has said.
The Head of State and Government said in his meeting with
Mr Blair during a recent visit to London for the coronation of King Charles
lll, Mr Blair agreed to lobby for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed
against Harare by Britain at his instigation.
President Mnangagwa, who is also Zanu PF First Secretary,
said this while addressing a star rally at Chinorumba High School, Zaka
district aimed at drumming up support for the revolutionary party ahead of the
August 23, 2023 harmonised elections.
He said Mr Blair and President Bush had struck a pact in
which Britain would support the United States to invade Iraq while Washington
would help Mr Blair impose sanctions on Zimbabwe.
This was after the US invaded Iraq accusing it of
possessing weapons of mass destruction, an allegation that turned out to be
false.
Britain, then led by Mr Blair, had become livid by Zimbabwe’s
decision to embark on the land reform programme aimed at correcting historical
land imbalances through distributing land to the black majority.
“When I met with Blair, I told him you had an altercation
with Mr Mugabe . . . do you want to do the same with me, and he said ‘no’. So I
asked him to resolve the issue before he dies so he is engaging his colleagues
in his country to have the issue resolved,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said owing to the Government’s engagement and
re-engagement policy of becoming a friend to all and an enemy to none, the
global world was warming up to Zimbabwe.
The President said the only country that has not relented
was the US that was even against Zimbabwe’s participation at the US/Africa
Business Forum held in Botswana last week.
“Last week there was the US Africa Business Forum held in
Botswana. The President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is my younger
brother, invited me but advised me that the US had expressed reservations about
my attendance. But Masisi invited me notwithstanding their reservations and I
went there. There was a place where we were staying so the Americans left in
protest about my presence there.
“We must be proud of who we are and we must be respected.
We will not accept to be treated as second class citizens. We are equal to
every single member of the United Nations.”
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe’s economy continues to
register huge growth despite the fact that it is under the yoke of sanctions.
He chronicled several policy measures that the Zanu PF
administration had embarked on for economic recovery and the economy was now on
a growth trajectory.
The policy measures are in the area of agriculture to
ensure food security and import substitution, energy to ensure constant and
uninterrupted power supply.
Others include infrastructure development such as dam
construction and road rehabilitation.
“We have a model of agriculture that guarantees food security and mitigates against effects of climate change. No one should starve in the country. We have several agricultural systems including those that are headed by traditional leaders. We also have structures run by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works at all levels including councillors,” said President Mnangagwa. Herald
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