Foreign Affairs minister Shava admits govt must go beyond ‘the rhetoric’

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

Foreign Affairs minister Frederick Shava admitted the government needs to go beyond the rhetoric for Zimbabwe to thrive internationally.

Shava said this on Thursday soon after the inaugural Rwanda Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Conference held in Kigali.

“For Zimbabwe to thrive internationally, we must go beyond the rhetoric and commit to concrete action.

“As part of our trade delegation to Rwanda, Zimbabwe signed 5 cooperation agreements!,” Shava said.

Award winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono welcomed Shava’s statement saying at least the ambassador had the capacity to tell his boss, President Emmerson Mnangagwa the truth.

“Once in a while, there is someone in Mnangagwa’s regime who will tell you the truth.

“I am glad to see the Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Frederick Shava acknowledging that Zimbabwe must go beyond rhetoric and act,” Chin’ono said.

He added that there is no Zimbabwean who wants their country to fail regardless of who is leading it.

“What we don’t want are corrupt leaders. When we tell ZANU PF trolls here that Mnangagwa is all about rhetoric and not action, they insult us.

“Now their foreign minister has said it, let us wait on the terraces and see what they write,” he said.

Zimbabwe has been put under sanctions by the international community over government failure to respect human rights and corruption.

Mnangagwa’s administration has since invited the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan to come and assess the situation in the country.

According to the UN statement, she will be in Zimbabwe from 18 to 28 October 2021 to assess the situation.

“Following an invitation of the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Ms. Alena Douhan,1 will undertake an official visit to the country from 18 to 28 October 2021,” read the statement. Nehanda Radio