Trump Moves to Reset Zimbabwe Ties as US Delegation Set for Harare

By Staff Reporter

US President Donald Trump is expected to send a delegation to Zimbabwe for high-level talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, signalling a possible thaw in relations between Harare and Washington.

The proposed visit follows a series of engagements between Mnangagwa, US officials and American business interests on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.

Zanu PF spokesperson Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa confirmed that discussions with American officials were continuing.

Mutsvangwa said Mnangagwa held a more than hour-long meeting with US Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman of Indiana after Stutzman requested the engagement.

According to Mutsvangwa, Stutzman described the meeting as “eye-opening, cordial and promising” before raising the possibility of a congressional and business delegation visiting Zimbabwe.

“After the meeting with President Mnangagwa and reporting back to President Trump, he lost no time in broaching the idea of an impromptu congress-cum-business delegation to Zimbabwe,” Mutsvangwa said.

The proposed engagement could focus heavily on trade, investment and Zimbabwe's critical minerals, as Harare seeks to attract Western capital under its “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” policy.

Zimbabwe is seeking investment in mineral extraction and local processing as it attempts to increase value addition and position itself as a strategic supplier of minerals required for the global energy transition.

The diplomatic thaw is also emerging alongside increased US market access for Zimbabwean sugar.

Zimbabwe has been allocated 813 tonnes under the 2027 US tariff-rate quota, allowing the country's qualifying sugar exports to enter the American market duty-free.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador Albert Chimbindi also confirmed that Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira recently met Stutzman.

Chimbindi said the meeting demonstrated a mutual desire to strengthen relations and address longstanding obstacles between Harare and Washington.

The possibility of high-level visits was also discussed.

“Once the exchange of visits begins, whoever is selected by the US to visit Zimbabwe will, I am almost certain, have an opportunity to meet with the President, provided that his schedule permits,” Chimbindi said.

The renewed engagement reportedly involves Massad Boulos, a senior Trump administration adviser for Arab and African Affairs, as well as South African Prince Sivile Mabandla, Mnangagwa's special envoy on land and investment.

The potential US delegation comes as Zimbabwe continues to push its engagement and re-engagement policy, with trade and investment increasingly taking centre stage in its foreign policy.

The developments could also reopen discussions around the long-running US sanctions framework against Zimbabwe.

A Bill seeking to repeal the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA), which has shaped US restrictions on financial assistance to Zimbabwe through international financial institutions, was introduced in the US House of Representatives last year.

If the planned delegation proceeds, the visit could become a significant test of whether Harare and Washington are prepared to move beyond years of political tensions and build a relationship centred on trade, investment, minerals and economic cooperation.