THE second republic has been a disaster on many fronts. When former president Robert Mugabe and his regime were hostilely taken over, the new administration received a lot of goodwill and support. Several promises were made, and the key among those was what was believed to be a shift in foreign policy.
The selection of General Sibusiso Moyo to lead the Foreign Affairs ministry brought a ray of hope. The emerging rhetoric was that “Zimbabwe is open for business”.
This was repeated on all official platforms, and for the first time in a long time, there seemed to be a shift from what the last administration had focused on, the Look East Policy.
There were significant appointments of ambassadors from the opposition ranks, some of whom had held parliamentary positions.
The relations with the West in the previous government were at an all-time low; the country’s leaders were placed under economic and travel sanctions from the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
These sanctions were either weakened or removed in some form or sort, mainly from the European Union and the United Kingdom. The relations with the UK Ambassador was cozy, leaving a bitter taste in the opposition’s mouths.
The country re-applied to join the Commonwealth of Nations, and all seemed to be going on well. There was no denouncing of the coup from many nations, and that, in a way, gave the second republic the legitimacy that it needed.
However, for some reason, the current government has squandered the goodwill that they received. The August 1 2018 shootings that happened after the elections left a sour taste in the international community, and many were not satisfied with the outcome of the commission that was set up to investigate.
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The country also struggled to get financing from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), and efforts to restructure the debt failed terribly. The rejoining of Commonwealth Nations has been very slow, and on the face of it, it will not happen anytime in the future, with contestations of election results every round.
Despite this, some might argue that the West still has a vested interest in the country. The United States has built one of the largest Embassy buildings in the region, and the UK ambassador has a very warm message towards the country. These gains, however, have not resulted in major economic gains.
This background is worth noting when one observes what has been happening in the past few months and tries to make sense of it. The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair was officially opened by the Kenyan President William Ruto.
The choice seems bewildering, considering these two countries have opposing international relations. Kenya, for example, is perceived as an American ally, and the recent tour to the United States where their president even hosted a state banquet in his honour.
Kenya has either abstained or was absent on votes that had to do with Palestine and argues for a two-state solution in that crisis, but whatever stance the country takes seems to be one that will not offend the Americans.
The Zimbabwean president followed that with a state visit to Kenya. The official position was that he was attending a fertilizer and soil health summit.
However, a notable development of the visit is the change of immigration policy. When Kenya introduced Electronic Travel Authorisation, Zimbabwean passport holders were required to make a payment, and this requirement was lifted after the state visit, making travel for business and leisure easier between the two countries.
Within a few weeks, the president was off to Russia, where he met Vladimir Putin, the country's leader. This visit is one that many have viewed as a disaster of great magnitude on an international stage. The foreign policy positions, the snide comments on neighbouring countries, and the hyena conversations left most of us in shock about the purpose of the visit. However, one must be cautious of what was discussed behind closed doors and what agreements we are not privy to were reached.
It should also be noted that the fact that despite the ongoing war with Ukraine, the Russian administration was willing to have a conversation with our president speaks of his reach, especially with the enemies of the West.
There are other relations that have been cemented and are on the rise. Not long ago, the country hosted the late Iranian president. The country has been developing strong ties with countries like Belarus. Chinese relations seem to be growing, as is seen with the Chinese investment in mining industries.
The relationship with the United Arab Emirates can be inferred from the gold smuggling documentary — all these point to a relapse of the “Look East” policy pursued by his predecessor.
In the past, these relations have failed to benefit the economy, and it remains to be seen whether they will bear any meaningful fruit this time.
- Mapfumo is a research associate at the African Leadership Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
