Mumbengegwi arrogance hampering Zimbabwe-EU re-engagement Gorden Moyo National ZimEye Close range Zimbabwe and African News

Harare(ZimEye)-The Zimbabwe’s Inclusive Government is reluctant to engage the European Union in the discussion of the country’s re-engagement with the west, a senior government official has said.

Speaking in an exclusive telephone interview with ZimEye on Sunday, the minister of state in the Prime minister’s office Gorden Moyo said the team which the inclusive government set to engage the European Union in the country’s re-engagement processes was reluctant to do the task.

In June 2009 Zimbabwe set up a ministerial team responsible for engaging the EU on sanctions under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement, a pact between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states signed in 2000.

The committee which is being chaired by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi of ZANU-PF,comprises Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa(ZANU-PF),Industry minister Welshman Ncube(MDC-M),Regional and Integration minister Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga(MDC-M),Economic Planning Minister Elton Mangoma and Finance Minister Tendai Biti both from MDC-T.

“It is almost a year since the committee was formed and we have not yet got any report of what it has achieved. What we are seeing is lack of commitment by the chairperson of the committte. He is too arrogant and is refusing to convene any meeting with either his colleagues or the EU.

“We are disappointed by this sad development because it is not an EU problem but a Zimbabwean problem. Instead we are getting pressure from the EU asking us where we are in as far as holding talks with them is concerned,” said Moyo.

Efforts to get a comment from Foreign Affairs Minister who is the committee chair were fruitless.

According to Minister Gorden Moyo members of the committee were chosen because of the importance of their ministries in the re-engagement process.

“These ministers who make up the committee were chosen because of the relevance of their portfolios in re-engaging the European Union, but our Prime minister’s efforts are being wasted by lack of commitment within some members of the committee,” he said.

Officials in Brussels said the EU would happily restore co-operation with Zimbabwe in economic development and other fields if President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai fully implemented the global political agreement.

“There is an urgent need for all parties to fulfill their obligations under the GPA. By doing this, the EU can once again fully re-engage with Zimbabwe and help the country on its return to normality and prosperity by resuming our development co-operation in full,” Mr De Gucht said in Brussels last year.

Source: ZimEye

Published here: 8 February 2010