Cape Town - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has called on world leaders to open lines of credit to Zimbabwe and put an end to sanctions on that country.
"We must allow the people of Zimbabwe to take control of their lives and give peace a chance," she said at a media briefing on Thursday, ahead of the tabling of her Budget Vote in Parliament.
The minister said she had been impressed at the recent World Economic Forum by Zimbabwe's leaders, both Zanu-PF and MDC, who said they were committed to rebuilding Zimbabwe.
"They publicly and openly said they will be working toward the success of Zimbabwe and we will work with them for the realisation of this objective," the minister said.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai visited the United States (US) earlier this year to enlist that country's support and "we show commitment to them in this situation," the minister said.
"We are acutely aware of Zimbabwe's problems. They did not happen overnight and they cannot be solved overnight.
"We encourage the international communities to come to the party to work with Zimbabwe," Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She said the US's recent stance on Zimbabwe was "a good start". "Initially they wanted nothing to do with Zimbabwe in the past. Now they are considering the pleas of the Zimbabwean Prime Minister. It is encouraging and positive.
"We will be in the US soon where we will meet with Hilary Clinton in Washington and we will reiterate the message of Mr Tsvangirai," she said, adding that Zimbabwe was a work in progress and all its problems could not be solved overnight.
The minister added that South Africa was committed to regional integration, both politically and economically, of the South African Development Community (SADC).
She said the future lay in strengthening these blocs to build greater goals for the future.
The minister further called on the European Union to also work closely with SADC to integrate the economies of the region.
"We are aware that our strength will be in our integration rather than our disintegration. We understand the challenges of our neigbours ... but believe that our future, both politically and economically lie in our integration," the minister said.
She said the Medium Term Expenditure Framework would look at the consolidation of the Africa agenda. "Charity begins at home - that is SADC and the continent".
The country, she said, would continue to work with the African Union to find peace and stability on the continent.
She noted the importance of South-South co-operation with Asia and the Middle East, adding that future growth lay in these countries.
