By A Correspondent
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator Mutsa Murombedzi has led a fierce pushback in Parliament against a proposed investment protection agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus, warning that the deal would hand excessive power to foreign investors and turn Parliament into a mere rubber stamp.
“Parliament should not become a rubber stamp for executive deals,” Murombedzi said during debate in the National Assembly.
“This is a document that potentially grants disproportionate power to foreign capital with little accountability. I therefore call upon this House to defer the approval.”
Murombedzi’s comments came amid growing resistance from CCC Members of Parliament, who have accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration of forcing through deals that lack transparency and primarily benefit politically connected elites.
The agreement—initially signed by Mnangagwa in 2023—requires parliamentary ratification before it becomes legally binding. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Sheila Chikomo, presented the memorandum to lawmakers, urging them to ratify it by May 31, 2025.
“The agreement is intended to secure and protect investments from both countries, and to provide a framework for mutual economic cooperation,” Chikomo said, arguing it would boost foreign investment and support Zimbabwe’s development agenda.
A parliamentary foreign affairs committee also recommended its approval, claiming the agreement aligns with Zimbabwe’s economic priorities.
But opposition MPs remained unconvinced. One legislator accused the government of orchestrating the timing of the agreement’s presentation to coincide with Mnangagwa’s current state visit to Belarus.
“The coincidence of the minister bringing this agreement before this August House was designed to be timed with the president’s official visit currently happening,” the MP said.
Another opposition MP slammed the executive’s tactics: “We are not your toys. Parliament must not be reduced to a rubber stamp for deals that benefit a politically connected elite.”
Lawmakers also expressed concern about the lack of detailed trade information and warned that Zimbabwe risked becoming a dumping ground for Belarusian finished products like tractors.
“We also need to be worried when we end up having a trade agreement which can be manipulated and exploited by a few individuals who are connected,” one MP said.
The debate comes as Mnangagwa continues his four-day visit to Belarus, where he has overseen the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding in sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, health, and economic development.
Despite the executive’s push to deepen relations with Belarus, CCC MPs have vowed to block any international agreements that bypass proper scrutiny and compromise Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and public interest.