Zim’s Commonwealth Return Imminent

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava

ZIMBABWE is poised for a historic return to the Commonwealth early next year, before the group convenes its biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled for October in Samoa. It is set to participate at that meeting as a full member. The development will mark the attainment of a major milestone for President Mnangagwa’s signature foreign policy of engagement and re-engagement, which seeks to, among other things, reintegrate the country into the international community. The Sunday Mail has gathered that the Commonwealth secretariat is presently finalising official formalities that will lead up to Zimbabwe’s readmission into the 56-member grouping of mostly former British colonies. In August, Zimbabwe conducted a peaceful, free-and-fair election, clearing the last hurdle that stood in the way of its readmission. The Commonwealth Election Observer Mission gave the polls a clean bill of health, praising the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for managing the plebiscite efficiently. In an interview, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava said Zimbabwe’s readmission was now a foregone conclusion. ReadMore