Exercise in futility

There is no way that the EU is going to seriously consider lifting the restrictive measures when the very causes of the imposition of the measures are still highly evident. Further, to date, the inclusive government has not fully implemented the global political agreement (GPA) which the parties concerned signed in 2008. The delegation is very likely to be asked some difficult questions pertaining to the implementation of the GPA or the lack of it. For example, they will be asked why the national economic council has still not been created when the resuscitation of the national economy is of paramount importance. They will probably give some lame answers to the Europeans, but the latter will realise that the inclusive government is not really serious about implementing the letter and spirit of the GPA.

They will be asked why there are still numerous reports of human rights violations coming from Zimbabwe. They will probably argue that the human rights commission has only just been commissioned and will be starting work shortly. The EU will have an opportunity to tell the delegation that it will wait and see the results of the human rights commission before lifting the restrictive measures from Mugabe and his underlings. Then they will be asked why, since the inauguration of the GNU, no new radio, television or newspaper has been licensed to operate in this country. The will have to explain why the newly commissioned structures have not been allocated any funds to enable them to operate. They have probably prepared some smart answers to all of these possible questions, but will the EU be convinced?

The delegation will have a tough time explaining why there are still so many outstanding issues that have not yet been resolved among the three parties to the GPA. The EU is very likely to insist that those issues be resolved before they can consider lifting the restrictive measures. It is possible that the EU may agree to increase its financial support to the inclusive government through the UNDP, but the travel bans imposed against Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) supporters will have to remain in place until there is adequate evidence of meaningful change in this country. The EU is well aware that the GPA is essentially a mechanism for transition to democracy in Zimbabwe. As such, any hindrances to that critical process have to be removed or resolved before targeted sanctions are lifted. Surely any well-meaning moron can understand that.

Finally, the delegation will have to explain why Tsvangirai is not being allowed to chair Cabinet in the absence of Robert Mugabe as provided for under the GPA. they will also be asked why the National Security Council has met only a few times since the inauguration of the GNU, and whether the security forces have been re-trained and re-oriented as required by the GPA. Their answers to these further questions are very unlikely to be good enough to make the EU change its stance on the restrictive measures. At the end of the day, the Zimbabwe delegation will return home empty-handed. Some nice words will be said during and after the visit, but we all know that the bottom line will obviously be that the targeted sanctions will have to stay put for the foreseeable future, or until Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party see reason and behave themselves correctly in relation to their obligations to this country.