Lift Sanctions And Engage on Reforms” Insist SADC – Nonsense, Sanctions Cannot Tramp Good Governance
30 January 2020
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BY: Wilbert Mukori- The Americans continue to exert pressure on SADC leaders to abandon the foolish notion that Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is caused by the sanctions. 

”Zidera and targeted sanctions are different. Zidera aims at restricting debt relief and voting at international financial institutions and provides a roadmap for engagement,” Cloud said.

“It is important to note, however, that the US has never invoked Zidera because Zimbabwe does not qualify for new lending consideration because it failed to do necessary economic and political reforms that would allow financial institutions to consider it for debt relief and new lending.”

He also told Tax that Zimbabwe was suffering from corruption, mismanagement and looting of government resources, more than the effects of the sanctions.

“Ambassador Cloud and Dr Tax discussed how failed economic policies and corruption have created the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe, it’s not sanctions,” said US Embassy statement, following USA Ambassador to Botswana’s meeting with SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Tax.

Dr Tax, no doubt fearful of her SADC Head of State bosses, was quick to denounce the statement as false.

“This was not part of what was discussed. Might be the position of the embassy, but definitely not Sadc’s position,” the SADC Secretariat counter blasted.

“Dr Tax reiterated Sadc’s call for the immediate removal of sanctions on #Zimbabwe and the need to further engage on reforms that will see a recovery of country’s economy.”

At the heart of the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is the repeated failure by Zanu PF to hold free, fair and credible elections, the essence of good governance. It is not that SADC leaders themselves dispute this fundament political reality that Zanu PF has been rigging elections because the regional body rejected the 2008 elections results because of Zanu PF’s blatantly cheating and use of wanton violence. 

SADC forced Zanu PF to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement agreeing on the need for Zimbabwe to implement a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop the cheating and wanton violence. The 2008 to 2013 GNU was tasked to implement the reforms. Sadly, not even one reform was implemented in the five years. Not one! 

SADC leaders wanted the 2013 Zimbabwe elections postponed until the reforms are implemented. Dr Ibbo Mandaza, who attended the SADC summit in Maputo in June 2013 confirmed this. 

“In 2013 the Maputo Summit, in June 2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all about having the elections postponed – the SADC summit,” Dr Mandaza explained in an interview with Violet Gonda. 

“I was there at the Summit and Mugabe pretended to agree to a postponement of the elections. If you recall, the postponement was based on the need to reform at least electoral laws.

“And after that Summit, Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, all of them were called to a separate meeting by the Heads of State of SADC in the absence of Mugabe, that same evening. And they were told; I was sitting there outside the room with Mac Maharaj; they were told ‘If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!’”

Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends did not listen to the warning and participated in the 2013 elections with no reforms in place. Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2013 elections, as SADC leaders had rightly predicted. 

The July 2018 elections were too held with no reforms in place and, again, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa of SA said the July 2018 elections “went well!” Only he can explain what he meant by that pithy and patronising remark when ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!

SADC leaders must not be allowed to get away with the lie that Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible; that is number one. 

Number two, they must not be allowed to get away with the suggestion that resolving the issue of sanctions is more important than resolving the issued of rigged elections. 

During the 2008 to 2013 GNU the Zimbabwe economy, buoyed by the prospect of the reforms being implemented and thus and end to country’s pariah state curse, register as much as 12% economic growth in 2009, up from – 6% the year before. The recovery occurred regardless of the sanctions which had remained in place throughout the GNU. Proof, if any was required, that restoring good governance will end the country’s economic and political crisis regardless of whether the sanctions are lifted or not. 

Instead of holding firm in demanding reforms before elections and the subsequent rigged elections, SADC leaders are now, not only, endorsing illegal elections but aiding and abetting Zanu PF’s propaganda of falsely blaming sanctions for all the country’s ill! 

There is overwhelming evidence that the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is a result of four decades of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical rule by this Zanu PF government. The economic and humanitarian consequences of the misrule have been widespread and tragic for the people of Zimbabwe and the whole SADC region. 

It is most dishearten that SADC leaders should, by mudding the issue of rigged elections with side issues like sanctions, stopping the search for good governance and stability in Zimbabwe. Shame on you!