The desperate Zimbabwean government  says the visit by the students from the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), for a three week long cultural exchange programme is a positive move towards the normalisation of the decade long sour relations between the country and the west.
In a speech read on his behalf by Farai Mabhena the acting Secretary in the ministry of   Rural Development and Preservation of National Cultural Heritage, at the official opening of the cultural exchange programme in Harare at the weekend Minister Abednico Ncube,
“This is a very important programme which has the potential of fostering relations between Wales and Zimbabwe a country which has been previously receiving negative publicity when it repossessed its land in 2002,”said Mabhena.
Relations between Zimbabwe and the west started to normalise during the tenure of the coalition government between Zanu PF and the two MDC formations when the west stated to remove sanctions in instalments though.
The west is still sceptical of wholesomely lifting the embargo because of the few cases of human rights violations, economic and political reforms which Zimbabwe is yet to address.
Minister Ncube said government will not compromise its sovereignty by ceding to the dictates of any nation.
“We are however glad that those who were in the forefront of denouncing us have realized sense in our argument and they have now requested for sober negotiations with the aim re-engaging”.
“Zimbabwe remains committed to working with anyone from around the globe provided he or she looks at us as partners not otherwise”.
The six Welsh students who were brought by Love Zimbabwe a Welsh based charity organization which was founded by a Zimbabwean who is now based in the United Kingdom will return on the 27^th of January after spending three weeks in the country.
Love Zimbabwe founder and director Martha Musonza Holman said they were planning to take Zimbabwean students to the Wales under the same programme.
“Not only are we going to take local students to Wales, but we are also going to establish artifacts marketing malls for Zimbabwean products in the UK so that we show case our culture and heritage,” she said.
“This is the beginning of god things coming and we have put it on our calendar”.