VOA标准英语2009-South Africa, Zimbabwe Sign Investment Agree

Zimbabwe, South Africa sign long delayed trade deal after last minute attempt by South African farmers to stop the agreement from being signed was settled

Peta Thornycroft | Harare 27 November 2009

 

"Negotiations¹ started in 2004 and it has now taken the inclusive government to conclude that process."

Zimbabwe and South Africa have signed a long delayed trade deal, which Harare hopes will boost Zimbabwe's beleaguered² economy. A last minute attempt by South African farmers to stop the agreement from being signed was settled late Thursday.

South African farmers whose land was seized under President Robert Mugabe's land reforms starting in 2000 were seeking a court order on Thursday from the Pretoria High Court to stop the two countries from signing the investment agreement.

Shortly before the court was to hear the case, South Africa and the farmers' unions reached an agreement.

The farmers wanted the South African government to recognize a ruling last year by the Southern African Development Community's Tribunal, a court of last resort for the region's citizens. The Tribunal found that Zimbabwe's white farmers, including several South Africans, had suffered racial discrimination during the land seizures³. It ordered that Mr. Mugabe's government should pay compensation to those who were evicted⁴ from their farms.

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe (File)

 Both Zimbabwe and South Africa are members of SADC, but the Mugabe government says it does not recognize the Tribunal's ruling.

South African Industry Minister Rob Davies, who was in Harare for the signing ceremony, explained the nature of the agreement with the farmers.

"There was a reference to the SADC Tribunal judgments⁵ and an undertaking⁶ on our side that we would respect those particular judgments. That is the essence of the agreement," he said.

He said the  investment protection agreement gave previous and future South African investors⁷ security in Zimbabwe, with the exception of seized land.

Davies also said the South African government was committed to the political agreement signed in September last year by Mr. Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party, which won elections earlier that year. That agreement led to the formation of a power-sharing government in February.

Elton Mangoma, Zimbabwe's economic planning and investment promotion⁸ minister, who signed Friday's investment protection agreement on behalf of the government, said the agreement made it possible for Zimbabwe to trade on equal terms with the rest of the world.

He said the deal could not have been reached before the establishment of the power-sharing government.

"Negotiations started in 2004 and it has now taken the inclusive government to conclude that process," he explained.  "For those who do not believe that the inclusive government has got a life of its own, which is different  from the previous government, this is one testimony⁹ that they can see that clearly things are different," he said.

Both ministers said the bilateral¹⁰ Investment Promotion And Protection Agreement would strengthen regional trade and help rescue Zimbabwe's shattered economy.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

4 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。

5 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

6 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

10 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。