Both before and after independence from Britain in 1980, developments in Zimbabwe have been a prominent and often highly controversial issue in Commonwealth affairs.
Zimbabwe has not been a member of the Commonwealth since it withdrew in 2003, yet contacts with the organisation continue, and many observers believe it will eventually rejoin.
Both before and after independence from Britain in 1980, developments in Zimbabwe have been a prominent and often highly controversial issue in Commonwealth affairs.
Zimbabwe has not been a member of the Commonwealth since it withdrew in 2003, yet contacts with the organisation continue, and many observers believe it will eventually rejoin.
The Commonwealth played a substantial role in what was once the British colony of Southern Rhodesia, in the lead-up to its independence as Zimbabwe in 1980.
In 1965, a Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain was made by (mr) Ian Smith, Prime Minister of what was now calling itself simply Rhodesia.
Most other countries did not accept the declaration by the white minority government, and the Commonwealth was at the forefront in imposing sanctions.
As well, when a bloody civil war erupted, the Commonwealth recognised the main black national liberation movements fighting the Rhodesian government.
Eventually, the Commonwealth helped to organise a ceasefire, and elections which brought Robert Mugabe to power in 1980 as the first leader of independent Zimbabwe.
23 years later, Robert Mugabe would announce Zimbabwe's withdrawal from the Commonwealth.
"If our sovereignty is what we have to lose to be readmitted into the Commonwealth, well, we will say goodbye to the Commonwealth and perhaps time has now come to say so (clapping, cheering)."
In the years ahead of its withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 2003, Zimbabwe had become a highly divisive issue in the Commonwealth.
Fellow Commonwealth members were alarmed when the ruling ZANU-PF party failed to stop often violent takeovers of white-owned farms, and suppression of supporters of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Then in 2002, Zimbabwe was judged to have been in violation of the Commonwealth's basic democratic principles, set out, ironically, in the Harare Declaration, issued at a Heads of Government Meeting years earlier in the Zimbabwe capital.
Zimbabwe was suspended from Commonwealth meetings, and after the failure of negotiations, Robert Mugabe made the announcement that his country was leaving the organisation altogether.
Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, Dr Danny Sriskandarajah says it was a sad day for the organisation.
"One of the highlights of the Commonwealth's history was its role in transforming Rhodesia into Zimbabwe and since then, I think Zimbabwe has been at the heart of the Commonwealth project. I think it cut quite hard when Zimbabwe chose to withdraw in the early 2000s. So, Zimbabwe has been close to the Commonwealth project and I think many people inside the Commonwealth do wish for it to return when the time is ready."
Dr Sriskandarajah says although the government of Zimbabwe has quit the Commonwealth, contacts continue between some of the many Commonwealth-linked civil society organisations.
And he says these contacts are aiming to help bring about change that could ease the way for Zimbabwe's return.
"Commonwealth civil society organisations continue to engage with Zimbabwe in the belief that the people of Zimbabwe didn't choose to leave the Commonwealth, it was its political leadership. And so we sort of have a responsibility to continue our links and try to nurture and independent and vibrant civil society in that country, which will hopefully lead to progressive political change."
In a recent interview with the Royal Commonwealth Society, Zimbabwe's Minister for International Co-operation Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga emphasised how important the Commonwealth has been to Zimbabwe.
But she warned the Commonwealth must do more to sell itself to the Zimbabwean people.
"I always give an example that if you were to say Zimbabwe is no longer participating in the World Cup, there would be an uproar in the streets. The reason why he did not have an uproar when Zimbabwe pulled out of the Commonwealth is because a whole lot of Zimbabweans they did not have an appreciation about practical issues about the Commonwealth and how the Commonwealth can bring them together."
Professor Helen Ware, is a former Australian High Commissioner in Zimbabwe and now an academic at the University of New England in New South Wales.
She says the consequences for Zimbabwe of not belonging to the Commonwealth are debatable.
"President Mugabe would maintain the consequences have been negligible and it is difficult really to say what a negative entails but not belonging to the Commonwealth means of course there have not been the same pressures or probably more importantly really opportunities to discuss alternatives and so forth meaning much more for the opposition and for those who want to see a more democratic Zimbabwe."
Danny Sriskandarajah from the Commonwealth Foundation thinks it's likely that Zimbabwe will return to the Commonwealth, but not in the immediate future.
"The ball is almost in the Zimbabwean government's court. If the Zimbabwean government chose to express an interest in membership that will be reviewed. If Zimbabwe meets the standards and principles of the Commonwealth then it would be a welcome return member of the Commonwealth. I doubt though we will see any of that happen until we see some serious political reform in Zimbabwe."
Zimbabwe's Minister for International Co-operation Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga says she can also envisage a point when Zimbabwe will rejoin the Commonwealth.
And she points out that in a recent address to parliament, Robert Mugabe did not rule it out.
"I think there is a general agreement that we need to be reengaging with the international community and if you go back to President Mugabe's speech in parliament he was very clear: we seek to re-engage with the international community, he did not say minus the Commonwealth."
