(HERALD) Engage Zim in progressive manner, diplomats told
Engage Zim in progressive manner, diplomats toldBusiness Editor
TIME is now ripe for the international community to take a different approach towards Zimbabwe and engage the country in a progressive manner that does not hurt people as has been the case with sanctions imposed over the last few years.
Briefing diplomats on the Mid-Year Monetary Policy Statement in Harare yesterday, Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono said the sanctions path had proved destructive and whatever message it was meant to drive home had been heard.
"At this stage there are two choices for those who want to influence events. Either you choose the brutal way and cut the throats of all the people on the sanctions list and live happily ever after or you choose to engage.
"The time is now. We now need to test each other’s ability to live together," said Dr Gono.
Sanctions had affected Zimbabwe socially and economically and nothing positive would come out of them. It was, therefore, insensitive for some sections of the international community to remain rigid instead of seizing existing opportunities for constructive engagement.
"If we say we are so rigid and miss opportunities to soften while that moment is there, it will be a tragedy. The tragedy is that if we get it right on our own, it will not be a good platform for future engagements. You harden people unnecessarily," he stressed.
The governor also referred to calls by President Mugabe to build bridges between Zimbabwe and the international community, saying such calls needed to be taken seriously.
In this regard, Dr Gono commended Sadc and South African President Thabo Mbeki specifically, for supporting Zimbabwe during these times.
Presently vulnerable groups such as women and children, the elderly and the generality of the population were suffering under the burden of sanctions that some members of the international community, particularly the West, had imposed on Zimbabwe.
"Why should all these people suffer? We have really been pushed to the corner, but as Zimbabwe we will never retaliate.
"We are disappointed and sad about the sanctions, but we are not bitter. You can do as much harm as you want to whosoever you wish but two wrongs do not make a right.
"It would be wrong for us to say every white person should pay for the colonial injustices that we experienced in Rhodesia," he said. In the sanctions war, there were no winners or losers, "but is it about humanity".
Addressing the diplomats, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Reuben Marumahoko also implored on the international community to adopt a softer approach towards Zimbabwe.
"Your Excellencies, if at all there was a time for friends of Zimbabwe to come together and come up with solutions for our problems, this is the right time.
"Let’s mend bridges. A few countries have adopted this stance, but some are adamant that Zimbabwe should be punished. That is a very unfair punishment," he said.
It was time to bury differences and adopt attitudes that would be mutually beneficial because "we need you and you need us".
Spokesperson for the business sector Mr Anthony Mandiwanza also added his voice in condemning sanctions, stressing that they hurt ordinary people more than those targeted.
"It is important that we make sure that what we do does not hurt the very people we say we want to protect.
"As businesspeople, we feel the international community should assist us to procure goods and ensure that people live decent lives," he said.
Asked on the relations between Zimbabwe and the International Monetary Fund, Dr Gono said it was unfortunate that the Fund criticised Zimbabwe for not going deep enough in its policies without proffering advice on the strategies that should be adopted.
"We have never professed to know it all so we hope the day is not long when the IMF will realise that such an approach is not beneficial to anyone," he said.
The Bretton Woods institution was also too harsh with Zimbabwe compared to its stance with other developing countries.
"If the way Zimbabwe is analysed were to be applied to other countries, then multilateral institutions would not do business in three-quarters of the developing countries," said the central bank chief.
Zimbabwe had been naive to think that such multilateral institutions would separate politics from economics and to conclude that their operations were guided by their charter clauses when, in fact, other issues were always at play, he said.
Despite all this, Zimbabwe remained a member of the IMF and "intends to be a member for a very long time".
Yesterday Dr Gono also took the opportunity to assure the international community that foreign direct investments were most welcome and that authorities would do everything possible to ensure their security contrary to reports that investors would lose their investments.
"We want to ensure sanctity of investments is observed. We will structure our instruments to promote and protect foreign investors.
"We do not support any unstructured interventions," said Dr Gono.
He challenged those mandated to craft and debate legislation to balance FDI inflows with indigenisation.
In some instances, the Indigenisation and Empowerment Bill had been misinterpreted to entail haphazard confiscation of investments.
"We want win-win situations. There will not be any grab, take-and-run interventions," said Dr Gono.
Investment opportunities were abound in tourism, manufacturing, mining and infrastructure development.
Labels: GIDEON GONO, THE HERALD
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