The Commonwealth Secretary Patricia Scotland has released a document that discusses Zimbabwe's proposed re entry, at a time Emmerson Mnangagwa has woefully fallen short of standards by using the military to rig the last two elections, getting condemned by both UN rapporteur and even the regional SADC observers; and Mnangagwa has proven he is heading to a third term by publicly threatening wishful successors with death.
The document outlines Zimbabwe's progress toward rejoining the Commonwealth but does not confirm that re-entry has been approved yet.
The report concludes by notoriously requesting Commonwealth Heads to consider allowing Zimbabwe to submit its formal application for readmission. If no objections are raised by a specified date, the Secretary-General will invite Zimbabwe to proceed with a formal application in line with the 2007 membership process.
Therefore, the final decision on Zimbabwe's re-entry appears to depend on further steps, including formal application and consensus among member states over the following-
1. Unfinished Reforms: Some areas like election fairness, the rule of law, and respect for human rights still need more work. For example, there are concerns about political prisoners and freedom of speech.
2. Constitutional Commitment: Zimbabwe’s president has promised not to go for a third term, but everyone is watching to see if this is kept.
3. Work in Progress: Some key reforms, like police training and updating laws, are ongoing but not yet complete.
4. Past Issues: Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth in 2003 due to differences, and they now need to show they’ve fixed their democratic processes to return.
5. COVID-19 Delays: Progress on Zimbabwe’s application slowed down because of the pandemic, delaying assessments.
6. Stakeholder Support: Most people, including the government, opposition parties, and community leaders, want Zimbabwe to rejoin, but trust-building is still important.
7. Membership Criteria: Zimbabwe must prove it’s meeting Commonwealth standards, such as upholding democracy, respecting human rights, and ensuring free and fair elections.
8. Final Approval Needed: The Commonwealth hasn’t said yes yet. They’re waiting for member countries to give the green light for Zimbabwe to formally apply.- ZimEye
