The Americans were very clear what they wanted the Zimbabwe government to do for them to lift the sanctions - hold free, fair and credible elections. Mnangagwa claims the elections were free, fair and credible but knows that is just nonsense. 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote; he says they will vote next time. The public media was not free and accessible to everyone and other candidates. The whole election process was not transparent, traceable and verifiable.
So having failed to get the sanctions lifted by doing the right thing, holding free, fair and credible elections; Mnangagwa is now hoping to have them lifted by asking lobbyists to falsify the record. Of course, honest lobbyists would not undertake such dirty work but they are others who will do it as long as they are paid big bucks - they may know this is a fool's errand but so what!
As a Zimbabwean this story is worrying for two basic reasons:
1) Zimbabwe is desperately poor, the country’s basic services such as health have all but collapse for lack of funds and yet the regime continues to squander money of hopeless causes such as lobbying the US Senator with falsified information.
2) The fact that this Zanu PF resign is spending money hand over fist to spruce up its tarnished image is a sign the regime has no intention of changing its ways, the regime has no intention of implementing the democratic reforms and restore the people’s freedoms and human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. The regime is gearing itself to have the sanctions lifted by hook and by crook because it has no intention of doing the right thing. We, the people, fight for human freedom and rights had better be prepared for a long fight! “Rwendo rurefu rwunoda manyatera!” as one would say in Shona.
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