They have stopped the numerous shopping trips to Europe by some people who have looted the resources of this country at will.
They have cast the Mugabe regime in very bad light in the sense of forcing would be benefactors of this country to shy away from providing any money through state structures since that money would simply end up in the private pockets of kleptomaniacs. In other words, the dictatorial regime has been starved of resources that it would have used to intensify the oppression and repression of the people of this country.
Zanu (PF) corruption has ensured that most parastatals have basically ground to a halt. For many years, these entities have been feeding troughs of the former rulers. But now they are bankrupt and can no longer sustain the oppressive regime. On an individual basis, the measures have prevented the targeted persons from withdrawing the loot that they stashed away in Europe and America. They need this loot in order to fuel the war chest and lubricate the violence machinery.
Most of these kleptomaniacs are getting old, and they are desperate that they should have access to their ill-gotten gains before they kick the bucket. Otherwise all that money will not be available to them and their families. Their loud screams about the lifting of sanctions is not necessarily aimed at benefiting the nation. The MDC is unfortunately aiding and abetting these corrupt peoples battle cry without realising the ultimate objective.
It is therefore only correct to state that the targeted measures have yielded the desired results. Indeed, if they had not been effective, Mugabe and his cronies would not be screaming their heads off about their removal. They would not have bothered to include the removal of sanctions as one of the key requirements of the moribund global political agreement.
The MDC was rather naive to agree to the inclusion of the provision on sanctions into the GPA since they knew well enough that there was little they could do to get the sanctions lifted. The majority of the reasons why these constraints were imposed on the Mugabe regime are still very much in evidence. For example, there is still a lot of state-sponsored violence perpetrated by law enforcement agents on behalf of Zanu (PF).
There is still limited equitable administration of justice, with numerous MDC supporters and civic activists being persecuted and prosecuted on trumped up charges. Abductions of innocent people are still taking place in various parts of the country. Food distributions are still being conducted on a partisan basis. It will therefore be folly to consider lifting sanctions when all these benchmarks have still to be met by the inclusive government. For the so-called sanctions to be lifted, the benchmarks that are clearly set out in the GPA in relation to the implementation of that document have to be met in full.
The on-going constitutional outreach programme has amply demonstrated that Zanu (PF) is still trigger-happy and violence inclined when it comes to mobilising the people to its advantage. There are numerous reports of acts of violence by state and Zanu (PF) sponsored agents against any suspected MDC supporters. Fortunately, the countries that have imposed the measures against members of the outgoing Mugabe regime are watching the whole situation, and they will not lift them before they are fully satisfied that the reform process and the transition to democracy in Zimbabwe is well and truly in progress. Those who say sanctions have not worked must think again.
Post published in: Opinions