“Finance minister Mthuli Ncube is expected to travel to Washington next month and engage with US lawmakers to lift the sanctions imposed since 2001. But his trip is likely to be overshadowed by the concerns that the US has raised over the human rights situation in the country,” reported Zimeye.
“Ncube estimated that Zimbabwe has lost 80 lines of credit as a result of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act and the US-imposed sanctions.”
The Americans should ask Minister Ncube whether he believes last July’s elections were free, fair and credible. Ever since he joined Zanu PF in September last year Ncube has wanted to cast himself as an academic appointed to do a job and will do it. He is not a politician and therefore does not want to concern himself with political matters. This is a very foolish and myopic position because it is undeniable that Zimbabwe is in a serious economic mess because of decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption which the economists and the people at large have failed to stop because the politicians would not allow change.
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs and investors have shied away from the country because they know it is impossible to run a successful business operation in such a country. Minister Ncube said he would attract investors but has so far failed to do so. So the political environment is important for economic recovery.
The Americans has made their position very clear, they believe Mnangagwa rigged last year’s elections, it is naïve for Minister Ncube to pretend otherwise. Frankly Minister Ncube is just wasting taxpayer’s money with all this globe-trotting when he cannot even admit the obvious – Zimbabwe is a pariah state!
Come to think of it; the Americans should just add Professor Ncube on the sanctions list. Why not he is doing more to prop up the Zanu PF dictatorship than Mnangagwa and ten other Zanu PF big wigs on the sanctions list combine!
Whilst still on the sanctions list, the West must slap the 24 individuals on Mnangagwa’s President Advisory Council, etc. They too know Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections and yet continue to work with the illegitimate regime as if it did nothing wrong.
Members of Zimbabwe’s opposition parties must also be included on the sanctions list. By participating in the flawed and illegal election process they are giving the process some modicum of credibility.
All pressure must be brought to bear on the Zanu PF regime if it is going to be forced to step down to allow meaningful reforms to be implemented. The prospect of Zanu PF remaining in power till 2023 is unthinkable because there will be nothing to stop the regime rigging those elections too!
Plan A: Pile the pressure on Zanu PF, by maintaining the sanctions and economic isolation on party leaders and those propping the regime, to step down long before 2023 elections so we can appoint an interim administration to implement the reforms and guarantee free, fair and credible elections.
Plan B: To compliment plan A and if it should fail; add opposition members to the sanction list to stop them participating in flawed and illegal elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait.
By Jeff Kurai Chakanyuka
No comments:
Post a Comment