Harare (New Ziana)-Speaker of the Zimbabwe Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, is in London, the United Kingdom, for a historic three-day working visit at the invitation of the House of Commons.
Mudenda, who is leading a high powered delegation comprising members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, arrived in London on Monday, where he was received at the airport by Zimbabwean ambassador to the UK, Colonel (Retired Christian Katsand and embassy officials.
According to Parliament, the bilateral visit, which is at the invitation of the UK Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, is in furtherance of the government engagement and re-engagement policy, which has resulted in the thawing of relations between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, after two decades of estrangement.
Relations between the UK and Zimbabwe soured after London and her Western allies together with the United States, imposed illegal sanctions on Harare following a successful land redistribution exercise to correct colonial land ibalances.
President Mnangagwa recently received credentials from the new UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Ambassador Gillian Joanna Lever, who indicated that her top priorities will include strengthening people to people relations as well as enhancing trade and economic relations.
Lever said should would as look into the longstanding matter of Zimbabwe re-joining the Commonwealth family of nations.
Mudenda’s programme will include crucial meetings with Speaker Hoyle and selected Committee Chairpersons, a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster, meetings with the
British Group of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Executives, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Executive, tour of Lancaster House as well as observance of the Prime Minister’s Question and Answer segment in Parliament on Wednesday.
From a Parliamentary diplomacy perspective, Mudenda is expected to augment the Executive-led diplomatic offensive which will accentuate the government position that ‘Zimbabwe is a friend to all and an enemy to none. a position dovetails seamlessly with that articulated by Lever when she presenting her credentials.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade who is also Chegutu West legislator Webster Shamu and other Committee members namely, Murerwa South legislator Noah Mangondo, Harare Women’s quota National Assembly representative Vivian Chitimbe, Mashonaland West proportional representative Consilia Chinanzvavana and Masvingo Women’s quota representative Auxcilia Dhanzi are accompanying Mudenda.
New Ziana
