Story by Abigirl Tembo
Zimbabwe’s cabinet has adopted a new doctrine guiding the country’s foreign relations and international cooperation.
The doctrine provides a framework for Zimbabwe’s engagement with the international community.
The doctrine of Zimbabwe’s Foreign Relations and International Cooperation is founded on seven key principles, including: “Zimbabwe is a Friend to All and Enemy to None”, “Leaving No one and No Place Behind”, and “Zimbabwe is Open for Business”.
These principles seek to promote Zimbabwe’s integrity, dignity and prosperity on the global stage.
“The prime objective of Zimbabwe, if you look at it in chapter two of the constitution, is for us to build a free democratic society where people are prosperous and they lead happy and fulfilling lives. This is the national objective,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira said.
“The ‘Open for Business’ doctrine or doctrinal point by His Excellency is to say business activity leads to this prosperity that we are talking about, and open for business by us and by all people who want to work with us on our side. All this is done within the laws and regulations of Zimbabwe, and just to contextualise it in a more interesting way, this doctrine has about seven points of reference.
“The first one is we own our country. The country is built by its own people. Next, the President says we are friends to all and enemy to none in the pursuit of our national goals, and we are open for business, of course, so that that business activity that leads us to that prosperity, to that happiness, fulfilling lives that we have been talking about.
“But while we are doing this development, we are uplifting our people from poverty, leaving no place and no one behind, but at the same time, when we are interacting in the international sphere, we are saying Zimbabwe believes in the country and we believe in the equality of sovereign nations.”
Professor Murwira also spoke on the importance of emancipation from mental slavery and decolonising the mind.
“We say we approach the world with liberated minds, not enslaved, getting rid of colonial thought and making sure that we ourselves are ourselves. It is very important before you interact with anybody, you have to be yourself first. At the end of the day, we say Zimbabwe will forever be a sovereign and independent state.
“For decision making, while a person is interacting with the foreign environment, they have to take into consideration all these six guidelines by the President. First of all, you must know that you are building your country. With yourself, with others, but building your country. You are living. You are a friend to all and an enemy to none. It doesn’t mean that you cannot be hated as a country.
“There’s no contradiction between eradication of poverty through business and sovereignty, because poverty is a threat, and I want to finish by saying, poverty is a threat to sovereignty. Poor people normally end up compromising their sovereignty. So this is a complete doctrine,” he said.
The doctrine also emphasises the importance of domestic ownership as well as intellectual and cultural liberation.
It reaffirms Zimbabwe’s commitment to being a sovereign and independent state.
The adoption of the doctrine is expected to shape Zimbabwe’s foreign policy and guide its interactions with the international community, with the ultimate goal being to create a society that is free, democratic, prosperous and happy.
