by Jasper Hloka
Zimbabwe’s new Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Christian Katsande yesterday presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth 11 at Burckingham Palace escorted by a Royal Wagon drawn by horse guards.
Ambassador Katsande was Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet before he assumed the ambassadorial post. The move has been interpreted by various political commentators and analysts as indicative of the thawing of relations between Zimbabwe and its former colony.
Since the inception of the new dispensation under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, various missions to and from the UK have been engaging to map the best way forward for the country.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Senegal, Trudy Stevenson, took to twitter celebrating the style in which Ambassador Katsande was welcomed with royalty. She wagged off cyber-trolls who sought to water down the event by insinuating that Zimbabwe is fast becoming a colony again.
“I doubt that any country does ceremony as well as UK…We have learned very well,” tweeted Stephenson.
ZANU PF UK activist, Nick Mangwana, posited that those irked by the event were enemies of progress and reiterated that Zimbabwe recognises traditions of other countries. Mangwana stated that “we respect traditions of other countries and expect them to respect ours. So far so good.”
Meanwhile, the hosting of Ambassador Katsande comes after sensational claims by MDC-T leader, Nelson Chamisa who was embarrassed after claiming that he had met the US President, Donald Trump. Since the death of Morgan Tsvangirai, it has never rained but poured on the MDC-T as it lost favour of the international community resulting in it being at the verge of bankruptcy ahead of the 30 July 2018 general elections.
Incensed by the increasing collaboration between Zimbabwe and the UK, the MDC-T has also been smearing on the developmental engagements accusing the country’s former colony of aligning with ZANU PF and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Zimbabwean citizens in the UK have kept their solidarity messages pouring to Ambassador Katsande wishing him a fruitful tenure which will see Zimbabwe’s economic fortunes turning around.
