INFORMATION Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi has thumbed his nose at the British government, which has stood adamant Zimbabwe was not yet eligible to rejoin the Commonwealth as it was lagging behind on key political and economic reforms placed as a basis for readmission into the prestigious bloc.
Writing on his twitter on Wednesday, Mutodi said the country was not too desperate to rejoin the Commonwealth which he said was an organisation more important to the former colonial master than Zimbabwe.
The outspoken top government official went on, saying rejoining what he said was a club of former colonies will not be any guarantee Zimbabwe’s sovereignty will be respected for once.
“Re-joining the Commonwealth may be crucial to the UK and to Ambassador Melanie Robinson from one angle but to us (Zimbabweans), there is no excitement in rejoining a club of former colonies without guarantee of mutual respect and sovereignty.
“The game of endless reforms is shameful,” Mutodi wrote.
Mutodi’s twitter rants come after British ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson earlier during the week insisted Zimbabwe was not yet ripe to rejoin the group of former British colonies as it was failing to implement key reforms.
Addressing local media soon after paying a courtesy call on Vice President Constantino Chiwenga at Munhumutapa Building in Harare Monday, Robinson said Britain will consider Zimbabwe’s membership to the 53-member bloc when reforms have been implemented.
“We discussed the Commonwealth and from the beginning, the British have been very clear we would like to see the Zimbabwe back in the Commonwealth and at the point where economic and political reform programme has been completed and we have seen good progress on that then that will be the time to look at membership,” she said.
