Zims in SA march in support of targeted sanctions

Africa Heritage Human Rights Forum (AHHRF) and the MDC Veteran Activists Association (VAA) said that instead of accusing the MDC of failing to remove the travel restrictions and targeted measures, Mugabe and his allies should concentrate their efforts on things they can control such as returning the country to the rule of law and respecting human rights.

The two organisations held a march recently aimed at galvanizing the international community to step up pressure on Mugabe to stop his ongoing human rights abuses in Zimbabwe .

Mugabe imposed the sanctions on himself by continuously trampling on both human rights and the rule of law, said MDC VAA chairman, Solomon Chikohwero, in an address to about 300 people who converged for the march.

The MDC, just like all other ordinary Zimbabweans, was at the mercy of Zanu (PF)s brutality and Mugabe should therefore not pester them to remove the so-called sanctions. It is disheartening to see that instead of ensuring the return of the rule of law, as required by the GPA, Mugabe chooses to pester the MDC to call for the removal of sanctions so that he can continue to brutalise the Zimbabwean people. Chikohwero said Mugabes refusal to adhere to the requirements of the GPA, together with the obstinacy of some senior Zanu (PF) officials, including the generals, would only lead to further targeted sanctions. The international community has set some conditions for the removal of sanctions and have stated that they will not come to Zimbabwes aid without these conditions being met, he said.

Despite the formation of an all-inclusive government in Zimbabwe, Mugabe, who lost the elections is still in charge of all arms of state and has shown no readiness to respect human rights, which he is still violating today. Millions of Zimbabweans are still living as refugees in other countries because their safety is not guaranteed at home and cannot return. Those are the issues that Mugabe should be fighting to address, things that he can control and then say to the rest of the world I have done this, why not remove the sanctions on me now? than attack the MDC at every turn. Edith Tsamba, founder and director of the AHHRF, said Mugabes concentration on the removal of the so-called showed that the geriatric ruler was only in the government of national unity for personal and not national gain.

It shows that he only entered the GNU to have the sanctions lifted so that he can continue to access his money to further brutalise Zimbabweans, said Tsamba. The ongoing violation of property rights through farm seizures and company expropriations, coupled with lack of media freedom and freedom of association shows that there is still no repentance on Zanu (PF)s part.