Zim-Belarus deals under Parly scrutiny

MOSES MATENGA AND ANESU MASAMVU

The Zimbabwe-Belarus trade relations are set to go a notch up if Parliament approves the agreement currently
before Parliament for consideration. The motion was moved by Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Sheila Chikomo (pictured), attracting fierce debate in Parliament.
Zanu PF members defended the need for an agreement as a necessary boost the country’s economy and will benefit the two countries with no prejudice to the other while the opposition said it is bad for the country and one-sided.
Government is seeking Parliament approval for ratification of the agreement with Chikomo saying the agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments, seeks to create favourable conditions that are fair and equitable.
She said the agreement will enhance the mutual flow of capital by intensifying co-operation between private enterprises in both contracting parties with a view to stimulating the
productive use of resources. Contributing to the debate,
Dzivarasekwa Member of Parliament, Edwin Mushoriwa, said the deal was one-sided and the delay since 2023 in the Parliamentary process to ratify it was suspicious.
“You will firstly note that this Bilateral Agreement was signed on 1st February 2023. We are now in 2025 and the coincidence of the Minister bringing this Agreement before this august House was meant to be timed by the President’s official visit currently happening,” he said.
“What it means is that this Agreement, as I will explain later, does not take cognisance of what we want. The Minister, when she presented the report, fundamentally failed to disclose some things to this august House,” he added.
Mushoriwa said Zimbabwe likely getting a half-baked measure as it was coming without the Minister telling the house what the balance of trade was like between the two countries.
He described the agreement as bad for Zimbabwe.
However, Masvingo North Constituency MP, Brian Mudumi, dismissed Mushoriwa saying he was not presenting facts.
“Mushoriwa is either lying or he is lost,” Mudumi said.
“His debate is not based on factual information but based on opinions. I pledge to share the report with him so that he can come up with factual information. There is nothing like USS$23 trade imbalance between the two countries,” he added.
Nyanga South MP, Supa Mandiwanzira, chipped in saying there was need for an agreement as it was a win-win situation and protects investors from the respective countries.
“This agreement protects Belarusians who are investing in our
country. It also protects Zimbabweans who are going to invest in Belarus,” Mandiwanzira said.
“The reason I just demonstrated this conversation (with potential investors), yesterday is to show that trade is not a one way. In fact, what we should be doing as Honourable members is to acknowledge the good job that the Ministry Foreign Affairs and International Trade is doing to create these platforms for business people to go and engage with other countries,” Mandiwanzira said.
“Therefore, we should go to constituencies and begin to say, by the way are you aware that Belarus has a
population of just under 10 million people. Their GDP is over US$70bn, are you aware that they export US$2bn worth of fertilizers every year? Could we in our constituencies or provinces benefit from that from Belarus? That is what we should be doing as Members of Parliament,” he added.
He said the country should be looking at the opportunity and not attacking the platform that the government was creating to protect those who are bringing their money to Zimbabwe.
“There are countries that are happy to put their money, and Belarus is one of them. Therefore, if Belarus would like to be protected in terms of its investment, there is absolutely nothing wrong as long as that protection is not exclusive to Belarus. It is also available to Zimbabweans who are going to Belarus. It is reciprocal,” the Nyanga South MP said.
“The question that was being asked on reciprocal – it is reciprocal on the basis that we are equally protected as Zimbabweans, should we invest in that country?”
Mandiwanzira said President Mnangagwa, is in Belarus for a four-day State visit, and that was a commitment for investment and relations between the two countries.
“President E. D. Mnangagwa was in Belarus just yesterday. In his remarks, His Excellency, our President, said he had been amazed by the technologies that are on display at this plant in Belarus. He is coming back home to encourage Zimbabweans to go and get this technology from Belarus to bring it home because it is very advanced,” Mandiwanzira said.
“The President is well ahead of us. This agreement is important to make sure that the vision by the President makes those Belarusians who are investing in high technology come here and have a soft landing with their investment.”
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa yesterday met with his Belarusian counterpart, Aleksandr Lukashenko, in Minsk as part of his official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation between the two countries. In February 2023, Lukashenko paid a State visit to Zimbabwe and agreements were signed in the field of industry, trade, agriculture, energy, transport and mining.