“South Africa Tells Mnangagwa To His Face To Stop Tinkering With Important Economic Institutions For Political Gain.” Screamed the headline in Zimeye.
“Zimbabwe has presented itself to be open for business, which we believe is an appropriate approach to developing this country and economy,” Mphakama Mbete, SA ambassador to Zimbabwe, told a POLAD economic summit delegates including Zanu PF leaders.
“However, in order to attract significant flows of direct investment, it is import that Zimbabwe improves its record concerning the following issues; security of tenure and investment protection; repatriation of proceeds by investors; the honouring of bilateral trade and investment agreements; the need to open up the economy to competition and establishment of new credibilities, lastly optimal debt servicing.”
There is no denying that Zimbabwe is in serious economy, social and political trouble. 40 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness have left the country is economic ruins, earned it the pariah state label and scarred away investors.
When SA together with the other SADC nations joined Zanu PF in blaming the sanctions for Zimbabwe’s economic problems; SA was telling Mnangagwa what he wanted to hear. Above, SA is telling Mnangagwa what he needed to hear!
“We think it is important for all members of society to enter into a social contract wherein government, business, labour and citizens rally behind a common vision of the country of Zimbabwe,” concluded Ambassador Mbete.
“Success requires mutual co-operation of all players as no one section of society can do it alone.”
Zimbabwe does have the all-important common vision of a free, just and prosperous Zimbabwe in which the freedoms and rights of all; including the right to “One-person, one-vote!” and the right to life itself; are guaranteed and sacrosanct!
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess precisely because, for the last 40 years, the ruling party, Zanu PF, has ridden roughshod over business, labour and the common people denying them all a meaningful say in the governance of the country. One section of society, Zanu PF, has done as it pleased because it is not democratically accountable to anyone!
Can only talk of successful cooperation in a society where all the partners feel they are being treated fairly and justly. Zanu PF has failed, repeatedly too, to hold of free, fair and credible elections undermining the mutual trust and the requisite cooperation.
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging tyrants. Zanu PF has failed to address these core problems of rampant corruption, of security of tenure and investment protection, etc. because doing so will dismantle the party’s political patronage system that is keeping it in power.
By the same token, Zanu PF will never honour its social contract and hold free, fair and credible elections because the party will never ever accept the democratic will to remove it from office.
Those who believe Zanu PF is capable of reforming itself out of office, such as the EU who have lifted most of the targeted sanctions imposed on the regime on the basis there is reform progress, are being totally dishonest.
Of course, the EU is knows Zanu PF will never deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2023, they are just patronising us!
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Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that a rift has opened up between Britain and the EU over the decision.
Britain exited the EU at the end of January, but is required to follow the bloc's sanctions decisions until the transition period expires on December 31 this year.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman told the Sunday Telegraph: "We did not agree with the EU's decision to suspend these sanctions on Grace Mugabe. At the end of the transition period we will review it."
Britain's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Melanie Robinson, on Monday appeared to warn President Emmerson Mnangagwa that tougher sanctions are on the way unless he speeds through key reforms to open up the democratic space.
"The UK government has always been clear that we believe changes to sanctions regimes against Zimbabwe should reflect progress on the political and economy reforms promised by President Mnangagwa," Robinson wrote on Twitter.
Britain's tough stance on the Zimbabwe regime brings it in line with the United States position. The United States maintains sanctions on dozens of Zimbabwean officials and entities connected to the government under a sanctions package in place since 2001.
It is a great pity that the UK is not in a position to reverse the EU decision and reinstate the lifted sanctions straight away because that would have send a strong message to Harare that the issue of implementing the reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2023 is not a trivial matter.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sibusiso Moyo, was wittering the usual nonsense of holding free and fair elections being “a process and not an event”! The nation has waited 40 years and counting and still Zanu PF is dragging its feet over this!
Zimbabweans should have had their freedoms and human rights delivered, secured and guaranteed on the 18 April 1980! Of course, it is an event!
The EU know as well as anybody that Zanu PF will never implement the reforms and deliver free and fair elections come 2023. The EU does not believe Zimbabweans are capable of holding free and fair elections and are dismissing anyone aspiring to such heights as naive to even believe such subhumans could ever attain such dizzying heights of civilisation!
“We think it is important for all members of society to enter into a social contract wherein government, business, labour and citizens rally behind a common vision of the country of Zimbabwe.
Success requires mutual co-operation of all players as no one section of society can do it alone,” Ambassador Mbete hit the nail on the head right there.
The root cause of Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis is the failure by Zanu PF to honour the social contract with the people, the failure to honour the democratic right of all Zimbabweans to a meaningful say in the governance of the country. Zanu PF has rigged elections since the country attained her independence in 1980 and the party leaders have done as they pleaded for 40 years and counting!
Zimabwe's economic recovery and political stability will only happen once the nation has implemented the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
Zanu PF will never implement the democratic reforms and reform the party out of office and therefore it is necessary to appoint a independent body that can be untrusted to carryout the task!
Lifting the sanctions on Zanu PF leaders when the EU's own Election Observer Mission dismissed the July 2018 elections as a farce does not make any sense at all! The EU should be open and admit the decision to lift the sanctions is based on selfish economic interests especially by countries like Belgium.
To pretend that Zanu PF has made progress in implementing the reforms is not only a lie but an insult to the people of Zimbabwe who know this is a lie and are the victims of the tyrannical misrule!
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