Re-joining Commonwealth: What it means for Zimbabwe
Hosia Mviringi
“The Commonwealth is not a club of former British colonies but a coming together of equal countries who share a common heritage in search of common idea.”
These were the words of the head of the Commonwealth Assessment Mission to Zimbabwe who is also the Assistant Secretary General of the grouping, Professor Luis Franceschi, in Harare on November 13, 2022 on the side-lines of consultation meetings with government departments.
The delegation’s visit to Harare is part of the informal process of assessment in regards to Zimbabwe’s formal request to re-join the Club.
This process involves a string of steps that an applicant country needs to fulfil in adherence to values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter which is the guiding document for joining and or re-joining the Club.
Francheschi’s remarks, in other words, is confirmation that Zimbabwe’s application to re-join the club is not a political issue, neither is it a desperate submission or capitulation of the Southern African country to some pressure from outside.
Francheschi’s emphasis that the move should not be misconstrued and misinterpreted as a political submission of the Zimbabwean people to the British rule and influence is refreshing and emboldening as it reaffirms the Zimbabwean position as a sovereign nation which will not surrender any of it’s rights by virtue of being a member of the Commonwealth, if the country is eventually re-admitted.
Being a member of the Commonwealth is one of the many ways to increase the country’s political leverage as it’s voice can then be heard from within the arena of multilateral affairs as opposed to shouting from outside.
Professor Francheschi’s remarks come at a time when some people have questioned the wisdom and choice of priorities behind Zimbabwe’s move to apply to re-join the former club of former British colonies alleging that its a sign of the country’s weakness as it can not survive without the former colonial masters.
Instead, the decision to re-join the Commonwealth is deeply embedded in the country’s new foreign policy trajectory which is anchored on the engagement and re-engagement program which seeks to reintegrate the country back into the broader family of nations.
As common sense would have it, its always cheaper and easier to repair broken friendships than to establish new ones, and this is the philosophy that is guiding Zimbabwe’s actions towards other members of the global family of nations, both singularly and collectively, and especially so towards the Commonwealth.
As the nation seeks to re-establish itself as a friend to all and enemy to none, its intentions must be made manifest through such tangible steps as the current push to re-join the Commonwealth, while forging new partnerships with other economic blocs such as the US’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which promotes duty free access for eligible African products into the US, and lately the BRICS.
Being member to multiple economic blocks presents the country with diverse options in the event of malicious manipulation by the other.
The decision to re-join the Commonwealth must therefore be welcomed by all well-meaning citizens as it represents a further opening of horizons to ordinary Zimbabweans as it has it will deliver more socio-economic benefits through enhanced and simplified trade, tourism, cultural exchange programs, educational and employment opportunities for citizens.
Membership to such a grouping as the Commonwealth which brings together 56 independent countries will be beneficial to Zimbabwe through a robust cross pollination of ideas and sharing of experiences in such areas as deepening democracy, peace and collective development.
When President Mnangagwa declared Zimbabwe as ‘Open for Business”, he was fully cognizant of the fact that the policy would not yield maximum economic benefits to the country without a robust re-engagement program which would aid in the reopening of old economic cooperation with former friends while establishing new ones.
And re-joining the Commonwealth community, which boasts of a massive 2.5 billion active citizens, is one such move that is expected to have tremendous economic spin-offs for Zimbabwean companies and individuals alike who seek to broaden their export scope into the UK and the rest of Club member states.
Zimbabwe took the bold step to apply for re-admission into the Commonwealth in 2018 and since then the country has made progress towards fulfilling its obligations to the grouping on the road to being readmitted into full membership.
The latest countries to join the Commonwealth are Gabon and Togo who were admitted in 2022.
The Commonwealth Assessment Mission is in the country from 12 to17 November 2022.
Recent Comments