The EU ambassador to Zimbabwe has denied reports indicate that the Union is set to remove the targeted sanctions by the end of this month.
Whatever the case, the EU should exercise utmost discretion. A decision to lift the sanctions, would have far reaching ramifications.
As we have always maintained, the sanctions were justified on the basis that they were adopted in the first place as an international reaction to politically motivated human rights violations by an increasingly despotic regime.
The United Nations, through the Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, recently blamed them –in part – for causing the suffering of the vulnerable and frustrating a much needed economic turnaround. She called for the lifting of the restrictive measures – largely on the basis that they have been so effectively spin-doctored by Zanu (PF) that the confusion surrounding them is now of itself a major impediment towards foreign direct investment and general economic progress. They have failed to accomplish that for which they were devised, and are no longer fit for purpose.
As we insisted in an earlier comment, the suffering currently endured by the majority of Zimbabweans has nothing to do with the restrictive measures on President Robert Mugabe, his key supporters and their associated companies..
Instead, it is due to poor choices of policies, greed amongst our leaders, insensitivity to the plight of the majority and, of course, political intransigence that has driven away investors and isolated a once prosperous Zimbabwe.
Given this, it would therefore be wrong to reach a decision to lift the embargo on a selected group of people and companies on the basis that they are inimical to the well-being of the people.
Before the sanctions can be lifted, there is need for demonstrated evidence that those who were responsible for their establishment have changed. There is need for them to demonstrate that they no longer have a propensity to brutalise innocent civilians.
They should genuinely prove that they have adopted solid democratic principles and are no longer given to looting national resources for personal gain.
There is need for a raft of sustainable reforms that include the opening up of media space, a non-partisan security sector, electoral laws that guarantee free and fair elections, and a readiness among those responsible for crimes against humanity to accept blame and compensate victims.
Removing the sanctions is bound to give those responsible for the crisis a sense of impunity.
As it stands, the situation in Zimbabwe is still precarious, especially as we head for an election that might well result in Mugabe’s defeat and, by implication, the exposure of his lieutenants who are on the sanctions list.
The EU must consult broadly and transparently before deciding to lift the sanctions.
Post published in: Editor: Wilf Mbanga
Before any decision is made on whether sanctions should be removed, we have to consider the following:
1. Why were sanctions imposed in the first place;
2. Have the sanctions had the desired effect and improved the situation? If you remember, sanctions were imposed upon certain key individuals within the ruling party who were considered key elements responsible for human injustices and other illegal and unconstitutional practices designed to suppress any opposition. These exact same culprits were also responsible for the illegal and unconstitutional invasion of legitimately owned farms based on purely racist grounds as ruled by the SADC Tribunal; not one but two elections were stolen by fraudulent means; military Generals continue to this very day to refuse to even acknowledge opposition members of the GNU, saying they will only recognize those who participated in the liberation struggle; the economy remains in a shambles with all of the revenue earned from the lucrative diamond mines disappearing; an estimated 4 million Zimbabweans still living in exile; ZANU PF still very much in control of the media and the assault upon any opposition continuing to this very day? Removing or even easing sanctions at this stage will unquestionably be a HUGE moral victory for ZANU PF but an even more serious consideration is, “what sort of precedent will this set elsewhere in Africa?” Leaders such as Charles Taylor, Laurent Bgagbo, Slobodan Milocevic, Ratco Mladic and now Hiseene Habre were all indicted before the International Criminal Court for similar behaviour. Why not Mugabe and his Generals? Why are they deserving of some special treatment? Makes us all wonder doesn’t it?