Opinion
Mavaza: Destroying Zimbabwe In Instalments, Even Mzembi Lays It All
6 March 2022
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By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Zimbabwe’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Walter Mzembi says:  “Sanctions are old instruments of censure which have outlived their usefulness in correcting supposedly errant Nations.”

In a determined and dedicated and persistent way the United States has once again extended sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by one year and accused the county’s leaders of economic mismanagement and undermining democratic processes or institutions.

the late, Mr Tizora [2nd from right] standing next to Dr Masimba Mavaza

It is actually surprising that a country is sanctioned for economic mismanagement.

In a statement Thursday 4th of March 2022 US President Joe Biden said his administration will continue with the embargo for a further year saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime implementing policies that threaten America’s foreign policy. The four main objectives of U.S. foreign policy are the protection of the United States and its citizens and allies, the assurance of continuing access to international resources and markets, the preservation of a balance of power in the world, and the protection of human rights and democracy.

Looking at these four pillars of America’s foreign policy one wonders how is the government of Zimbabwe threatening the policies.

Coincidentally America announces extension of the sanctions on Zimbabwe Ukraine soldiers were breaching the human rights of black Africans and Asians. It was actually raised in the UN security meeting that Ukraine is holding foreigners hostage.

Instead of dealing with the true snd provable crimes they thought to punish Zimbabwe where they have no evidence at all.

Without shame America said: “The actions and policies of certain members of the Zimbabwe government and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States,” Biden said.

“For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2003 and the measures adopted on that date, on November 22, 2005 and on July 25, 2008 to deal with that emergency must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2022.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for one year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288,” he said. However it is imperative that we understand the economic sanctions.

Economic sanctions have become a popular tool in international politics, with the US being the largest actor in imposing sanctions. The aim of sanctions is to ensure government compliance with the imposer’s interests and are often viewed as more humane than military intervention. However, economic sanctions are also criticised for not achieving their objective and for having a negative impact on areas such as human rights, democracy, poverty, healthcare, and basic living conditions.

Ironically the sanctions imposed by America bring about untold suffering of the Zimbabweans. The Americans deliberately place the Zimbabwean majority within centimetres from the lion’s mouth. They expose the Zimbabweans to death and suffering because of the sanctions.

The sanctions actually defeat their own purpose.

Joe Biden went further to say
“This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress,” Biden said, adding Harare had pursued “actions and policies that have contributed to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to politically motivated violence and intimidation, and to political and economic instability in the southern African region.”

Talking about the rule of law America has breached all the laws it purports to protect. America interferes in the business of other countries breaches all the international law and displaying such totalitarianism in the name of keeping the law.

Through the economic damage of the sanctions, a significant impact is felt by the public: GDP per capita decreases at an increased rate, exports and imports decrease, international capital decreases, and inflation increases.Sanctions have been criticized on humanitarian grounds, as they negatively impact a nation’s economy and can also cause collateral damage on ordinary citizens. Peksen implies that sanctions can degenerate human rights in the target country. So it is madness for America to cause the things they are sanctioning is for.

Because of America and her puppets Zimbabwean has descended in economic abyss and the causer of that hypocritically punishes you for the things America has brought upon you. This hypocrisy is satanic and demonic.

About two weeks ago, US Embassy Charge D’Affairs Thomas Hastings warned Washington was closely monitoring the ongoing by-election campaigns that have recently turned extremely violent thanks to the CCC antics.

Economic sanctions are increasingly being used to promote the full range of American foreign policy objectives. Yet all too often sanctions turn out to be little more than expressions of U.S. preferences that hurt Zimbabwean economic interests without changing the behavior for the better. As a rule, sanctions need to be less unilateral and more focused on the problem at hand. Congress and the executive branch need to institute far more rigorous oversight of sanctions, both prior to adopting them and regularly thereafter, to ensure that the expected benefits outweigh likely costs and that sanctions accomplish more than alternative foreign policy tools.

It is unfortunate that Zimbabwe has many completely colonised to an extent that they feign harassment so that they can get sanctions on Zimbabwe extended.

It was not a coincident that CCC staged an attack in Kwekwe just to given-a grim look on Zimbabwe’s political land scape.

The negative impact that sanctions have on economic growth affect women, minority communities and other marginalised groups to a greater extent. When this happens it will appear as if Zimbabwean government is suppressing people yet it is the effects of sanctions
Zimbabwean situation has shown that Sanctions have a significant negative impact on the living standards and humanitarian situation of the population in the sanctioned state. It is these effects caused by the sanctions which gives America the reasons to put more sanctions on Zimbabwe. This is hypocrisy at its best.

Sanctions in Zimbabwe have not led to the regime changing its actions and approach and this has infuriated America who are now openly encouraging violence in the country.

Poverty is used as a tool in Zimbabwe to control the population and blame is placed on those who are in government. Sanctions in Zimbabwe have impacted the aid process leading to less aid getting through which exacerbates poverty.

The widespread use of economic sanctions constitutes one of the paradoxes of contemporary American foreign policy. Sanctions are frequently criticized, even derided. At the same time, economic sanctions are fast becoming the policy tool of choice for the United States in the post-cold war world. What is critical, moreover, is not just the frequency with which economic sanctions are used but their growing importance for U.S. foreign policy.
Economic sanctions lead to an increase in the poverty gap and deprived sections of the population feel the most impact.

For the most part sanctions fail to achieve their aims and elites manage to negotiate the adverse effects to a far greater level than poorer citizens.

Sanctions have a damaging effect on income inequality and impact ordinary people more than the sanctioned country’s leaders.

Sanctions tend to harm rural and non-industrialised areas more, as resources are refocused in power and production centres.Economic sanctions have a negative impact on the cost of reconstruction and economic growth.

So the United States and its puppets in Zimbabwe must forget the regime change agenda. It will not happen and as a country the sanctions will only make it strong.
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