EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Aldo Dell'Ariccia said the European Union had suspended travel bans and asset freezes on 81 out of 91 individuals on Monday and most Zimbabwean firms had been delisted in a “major move that demonstrates the recognition of a successful and peaceful constitutional referendum that took place in Zimbabwe recently.”
“Eight of the ten companies have also been delisted, which is a major move that demonstrates the recognition of the importance of peaceful electoral events in Zimbabwe and also support the efforts of the region – SADC and South Africa as facilitator,” the EU ambassador told SW Radio Africa.
Senior ZANU PF ministers such as Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangwgwa, Saviour Kasukuwere and Vice President Joice Mujuru have had their restrictions suspended, but Dell'Ariccia said the people who remain on the list are considered key decision makers in the country and “will remain subjected to the restrictive measures until peaceful, transparent elections have been achieved.”
The individuals who remain on the EU sanctions list are:
President Robert Mugabe
First Lady Grace Mugabe
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa
Director of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) Happyton Bonyongwe
Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri
Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence forces General Constantine Chiwenga
Air Marshall Perence Shiri
The Commander of the Army Lt General Phillip Valerio Sibanda
Army Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba
Leader of the National War Veterans Association Jabulani Sibanda
Prisons Commissioner Retired Major General Paradzai Zimondi has been removed from the list.
Dell'Ariccia said the measures have not been de-listed, just suspended as a gesture of good will and the EU can review the measures anytime depending on the situation on the ground.
The state-run Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and Zimbabwe Defence Industries are the two companies that remain on the sanctions list.
The EU has been gradually easing sanctions on Zimbabwe as tactic to encourage reform ahead of elections.
Dewa Mavhinga, Senior Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch said: “This development is a diversion from the critical work of preparing for credible, free and fair elections which is likely to send the wrong message that all is well now in Zimbabwe, when in fact the human rights situation on the ground is far from improved.
“In fact the human rights situation has deteriorated in the past 6 months. Police, who are aligned to ZANU-PF, have carried out attacks on civil society organizations working in the country including through harassment, arrests and raids on their offices.”
The Human Rights Watch officer said the most recent arrest is that of a prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who was arrested for doing her work as a lawyer.
“The new constitution may seem strong on paper but it has not translated to improvements on the ground and the major problem in Zimbabwe is lack of constitutionalism. This move by the EU should have been benchmarked on credible elections, not on referendum, it merely rewards ZANU PF and its allies for their repression,” Mavhinga said.
Ambassador Dell'Ariccia was speaking in London where an international group calling itself ‘Friends of Zimbabwe’ is meeting to discuss cooperation with Zimbabwe, as the country prepares for make or break elections this year.
Representatives of major development partners and several foreign ministers from all over the world, plus members of the diplomatic community from Harare are set to hold re-engagement talks on Tuesday with the Zimbabwe government’s lead negotiators, ZANU PF’s Patrick Chinamasa, MDC’s Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and MDC-T’s Elton Mangoma.
Chinamasa’s official visit to London will be his first since sanctions were imposed on members of the ZANU PF party by the EU over a decade ago. The Justice Minister is reported on NewZimbabwe.Com saying he will use the meetings with the British government to demand that all sanctions be lifted unconditionally and ask for Britain’s help to shut down SW Radio Africa which broadcasts into Zimbabwe from London.
Post published in: News
They should ALL STILL BE ON THE LIST. Nothing has changed here except their ability to foll the fools who are doing the checking.