Bronnert, who replaces Mark Canning as London’s point person in Harare, said in a statement that she was delighted to be taking up the post of British ambassador “at such an important time for Zimbabwe, as the parties in the Inclusive Government work towards greater reform and free and fair elections”.
“The United Kingdom has long been a friend to the Zimbabwean people and I look forward to ensuring that that commitment remains as strong as ever,” said the incoming envoy.
Bronnert, who takes up her new Harare posting in August, has until now been head of Prosperity Issues, one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s three key priorities under the new UK coalition government.
In this role, she led the FCO’s work on commercial and economic diplomacy, trade policy, development issues and climate change.
In addition to posts in London, she has previously served in Moscow as economic counsellor where she led the trade, economic, development and climate/science teams and as a member of Lord Neil Kinnock’s cabinet at the European Commission in Brussels with responsibility for European Union foreign and development policy issues.
She has extensive experience of development issues from a foreign policy perspective.
Canning left Zimbabwe on 3 June 2011 following the completion of his tour of duty. His deputy, Tim Cole, is currently acting as Charge d'Affaires, pending the arrival of the new ambassador Zimbabwe’s relations with Britain, which were cordial soon after independence, took a nose dive when the Labour Party under the leadership of Tony Blair took power in Britain in 1996.
President Robert Mugabe accused the Labour government of reneging on a pledge made by their Conservatives counterparts to fund a programme to redistribute land.
In retaliation Mugabe compulsorily grabbed land from more than 4 000 white farmers in 2000, telling them to get compensation from the UK government.
He went on to steal subsequent elections held from 2002, unleashing his supporters on members of the opposition. This led to the imposition of visa restrictions and an asset freeze by the UK, EU and other Western countries in 2003.
Post published in: News