Harare (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa returned home on Saturday from an African Union-European Union heads of state summit in Brussels.

The summit explored ways and means to foster deeper economic co-operation between the two continents as the world globalises.

President Mnangagwa, who was accompanied to the summit by a high powered delegation that included Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube, took the opportunity to advance his government’s engagement and re-engagement agenda.

Since taking office in 2017, he has prioritised engaging and re-engaging state and institutional friends and foes alike, to end Zimbabwe’s costly western-led ostracisation of the last two decades.

Accusing Zimbabwe of all manner of crimes, from human rights to undermining democracy, the West led an international crusade against the country, anchored on sanctions.

From Zimbabwe’s stand point, the crusade was merely a crude attempt by the West to stop the government from fairly re-distributing farmland, dominantly owned by a tiny number of whites.

The ostracisation cost the country heavily, with estimates of up to US$100 billion in economic losses in the last 20 years.

This is why, upon assuming office, President Mnangagwa prioritised normalising relations with the rest of the world.

At the Brussels summit, he met scores of both government and business leaders, and pitched the vast economic opportunities that had re-opened in the country under his administration.

From as little as less than US$100 million a year a couple of years ago, the country is now attracting billions in foreign investment annually, thanks in large part to the government’s engagement and re-engagement policy.

Last year, US$1.8 billion in mainly foreign investment flowed into the country.

New Ziana