Zimbabwe: Govt Hires Trump Lobby Firm to Represent it in Washington

U.S. Department of Justice
The Department of Justice document detailing the contract between Ballard Partners and the Zimbabwean government.
7 March 2019
allAfrica.com

Cape Town — The Zimbabwean government has hired a lobby firm to represent it in Washington, Politico reports.

Politico says that Ballard Partners will be the first firm to lobby on the country's behalf in more than a decade.

"Brian Ballard, a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump's campaigns, and the firm's other lobbyists will counsel Zimbabwe on 'communication with U.S. government officials, U.S. business entities, and non-governmental audiences,' Politico says, citing a disclosure filing.

The contact is worth $500,000 a year, Politico says, adding that James Rubin, a former State Department official in the Clinton administration, will be the lead lobbyist for Zimbabwe.

Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa Director, Human Rights Watch, said on Twitter that it was hypocritical of the Zimbabwe government to spend half a million dollars on a US public relations firm when 7 million people are starving and need food aid.

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