WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-06-09 Time: 14:00:03 Posted By: News Poster
By Mabasa Sasa
Harare – Zimbabwe and South Korea do not have a bilateral investment protection and promotion agreement (BIPPA) contrary to claims by the Prime Minister’s Office, it has emerged.
It is also understood that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written to the Korean Embassy in Harare explaining that the PM — who was in Seoul recently — does not have the constitutional authority to operationalise any such agreements.
PM Morgan Tsvangirai was in South Korea two weeks ago to receive an honorary doctorate where he ostensibly signed a BIPPA between Zimbabwe and that country.
Science and Technology Minister Heneri Dzinotyiwei purportedly signed the agreement on Zimbabwe’s behalf.
However, in an interview yesterday, President Mugabe’s spokesperson, Mr George Charamba, and officials from the Justice and Legal Affairs Ministry said the BIPPA as claimed by the PM’s Office did not exist.
A Foreign Affairs Ministry official also said they had written to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Harare setting the record straight.
“Their embassy has been informed of the constitutional position and indications are that they have since communicated this to Seoul.
“We do not anticipate any problems with Korea on the matter because we have always had cordial ties.
“They were just not aware that the PM did not have the authority to do what he did,” said the Foreign Affairs official.
The official indicated that a “proper BIPPA” was still at the formulation stage and it would be structured through the normal processes.
“We are good friends with Korea but we simply do not have a BIPPA with them; we don’t even have a Joint Commission and that is the starting
“Engagements have hitherto been on the basis of corporate bodies taking an initiative ahead of sluggish politics and that is why we have seen co-operation in the form of the bio-diesel plant in Mt Hampden and previous arrangements for selling of Hyundai vehicles in Zimbabwe.
“There are also huge cultural exchanges between the two and that is why you see Korean films on our national television.
“All this was done before the inclusive Government and as Foreign Affairs we don’t want such good ties to be spoilt now by politicians rushing ahead of themselves.”
Mr Charamba said only President Mugabe — with the agreement of Cabinet and, where necessary ratification by Parliament — could bind Zimbabwe to another country through a BIPPA.
“The Constitution is clear on that one. BIPPAs are very serious documents and they are governed by international commercial law.
“They chain two countries’ economies and politics together for years and thus should be approached with caution.
“We have had mixed experiences with BIPPAs before and that only makes us more cautious.
“The Americans and several European countries tried to reverse our land reform programme through BIPPAs and we are thus more careful now,” he said.
He said even with South Africa, it had taken years to come up with a BIPPA.
“South Africa is very close to us physically, politically, culturally and economically but even then it took a long time to have a BIPPA.”
Mr Charamba said it was “absurd” that PM Tsvangirai could delegate Minister Dzinotyiwei to sign a BIPPA on behalf of Zimbabwe.
“President Mugabe delegates a relevant line minister to sign. In this case, he would have delegated (Economic Planning and Investment Promotion) Minister Elton Mangoma.
“In effect, the PM is telling us that after President Mugabe delegated Minister Mangoma, Minister Mangoma delegated the chief minister, PM Tsvangirai, who in turn delegated Minister Dzinotyiwei.
“It is absurd, to say the least. Anyway, as far as I know, and I have checked, the President never made any such delegation so in effect no BIPPA was signed in Korea.
“Maybe it was the mock signing ceremony of a BIPPA that might be signed in the future by those constitutionally delegated to do so.”
An official in the Justice Ministry added: “We advised the PM, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before he left that a BIPPA was not ready for signing.
“We understand that our Ambassador to Japan, Mr Stuart Comberbach — who also covers South Korea — also explained that to him.
“Equally, the PM was made aware that tentative moves at discussing a possible BIPPA were in their infancy and were very low down in the policy-making continuum.
“Nothing has even been presented to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation.”
Yesterday, The Herald also gathered that inter-party talks negotiators on implementation of the Global Political Agreement had reached consensus on how such documents were to be signed.
A source said: “In their report there is a whole section dealing with BIPPAs, treaties, conventions and protocols.
“For all of them it was agreed that nothing could be signed before it was brought for approval by Cabinet and where necessary by Parliament.
“If that is the case, it means whether under the pre-GPA era or at present, neither the PM nor Minister Dzinotyiwei can bind Zimbabwe in such an agreement.”
Original Source: 
Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Original date published: 9 June 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201006090137.html?viewall=1