Overview

The book interrogates the European Union (EU) - Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, covering trade in goods, trade-related rules and development cooperation. The negotiations coincided with EU's motives as the dominant development partner, and Zimbabwe's state-stakeholder fault-lines, creating dilemmas in the pursuit of a fair EPA outcome. As a result, the economically weak Zimbabwe signed and ratified an asymmetrical interim EPA (iEPA) with an economically powerful EU in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Meanwhile, direct bilateral re-engagement which eluded the Government of National Unity (GNU), became real following ZANU-PF landslide victory on 31 July 2013, that sufficiently altered the power balance to trigger the process between the former nemesis in support of iEPA domestication, and social and economic development. ZANU-PF government stopped blaming the EU and other western nations for the country's continued economic underperformance, signaling a softening approach on its part. Similarly, the EU and its member states softened its perception on ZANU-PF leadership leading to resumption and intensification of re-engagement despite failure to implement the Global Political Agreement-related constitutional and democratic reforms, agreed by GNU. This re-engagement was firmly endorsed when the EU and Zimbabwe signed an agreement in July 2015 to normalise bilateral relations and start cooperation.

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9789956762347

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Dr Richard Kamidza, holds BSc (Honours) Economics (University of Zimbabwe), MA Policy Studies (Southern African Regional Institute for Policy Studies, an Associate of the Universities of Fort Hare and Zimbabwe) and PhD in Development Studies (University of KwaZulu Natal). His special interests in bilateral, regional and multilateral trade issues and trade negotiations as well as regional trade and economic integration, has culminated with a series of authored publications including book chapters, and policy articles as well as related capacity building on state officials and trade activists. Kamidza's work on socio-economic development has seen him collaborating with regional and international organisations such as the EU, and Commonwealth and SADC secretariats.

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