Tinotenda Hove- ZANU PF Secretary General Advocate Jacob F.N. Mudenda this week declared that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has transformed Zimbabwe’s foreign policy and repositioned the country as “an active and respected player on the global stage.”

Speaking at a workshop for ZANU PF Members of the Standing Committee on External Relations, Mudenda praised Mnangagwa as the country’s “Chief Diplomat” and said diplomatic reforms under his leadership had yielded significant results.

“The global landscape is constantly evolving,” Mudenda told party officials. “We must adapt, innovate, and navigate change in pursuit of success.”

The remarks come at a time when Zimbabwe continues to face diplomatic isolation from key Western partners, targeted sanctions, and limited access to international financing. Critics argue that despite years of “re-engagement” rhetoric, the country’s relations with the EU, US and major multilateral lenders remain largely unchanged.

While government officials point to increased engagement with BRICS nations, China, and regional bodies, opposition and economic analysts question the tangible benefits for ordinary citizens. Foreign direct investment remains low, the debt burden is unsustainable, and Zimbabwe still struggles to clear arrears that block new funding from the IMF and World Bank.

Mudenda’s praise of Mnangagwa’s diplomacy also drew scrutiny given ZANU PF’s own role in foreign relations. Rather than empowering career diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ruling party has increasingly tasked party structures with conducting external relations, a move critics say blurs the line between statecraft and party politics.

By convening a workshop for the party’s Standing Committee on External Relations instead of government technocrats, ZANU PF reinforced concerns that foreign policy is being driven by partisan interests rather than national strategy.

As Mudenda urged officials to “adapt and innovate,” many Zimbabweans continue to bear the cost of a foreign policy that has yet to translate into jobs, debt relief, or restored international credibility.

For now, the government’s claim of being a “respected player” globally stands in stark contrast to the lived reality of economic hardship and limited diplomatic breakthroughs at home.