HARARE – Zimbabwe is “some way away” from re-joining the Commonwealth, according to Melanie Robinson, Britain’s ambassador in Harare.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made ending Zimbabwe’s international isolation a key priority, but growing repression has dented international goodwill.

Robinson, speaking after a meeting with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga on Monday, said Zimbabwe’s readmission into the 53-member body would be influenced by the pace of reforms.

“We discussed the Commonwealth and I said that from the beginning, the UK has been very clear that we would like to see Zimbabwe back in the Commonwealth,” Robinson told journalists.

“At the point where the economic and political reform programme of the government has been completed and we have seen good progress on that, then that would be the time to look at membership.

“We’re currently some way away from that, but we look forward into the future to seeing those reforms underway and for us to be able to discuss Commonwealth membership.”

Former president Robert Mugabe pulled Zimbabwe out of the Commonwealth – made up largely of former British colonies – in 2003 after the former colonial power championed the imposition of European Union sanctions on the country over human rights abuses.

Mugabe was ousted in November 2017 when the military conspired with Mnangagwa, but rights groups say repression has increased under Mugabe’s former deputy who came to power promising economic prosperity and greater freedoms.

Zimbabwe is in the throes of a major economic crisis after the failure of government austerity measures and currency reforms. Zimbabweans are daily grappling with shortages of fuel and electricity, while triple digit inflation has reduced their buying power as salaries lag behind.

The broke Zimbabwe government has paid millions to international lobbyists hoping to buy acceptance for Mnangagwa in western capitals, but the effort has so far been futile owing to continuing attacks on the opposition and rights defenders by the security services.

Soldiers have twice been deployed to put down opposition protests over stolen elections and sharp fuel price increases, leaving at least two dozen people dead. State security agents are also blamed for the abduction and torture of up to 60 of Mnangagwa’s critics this year alone, including comedians and trade union leaders.