THIS Friday, countries in Southern Africa will join Zimbabwe’s sanctions fight against the United States and its western allies.
The embargo was slapped on the country in 2001 in order that the late former President Robert Mugabe’s regime would acceed to democratic tenets, including the acknowledgement and respect of property rights, in the process abandoning its land reform programme.
Prior to Mugabe’s ouster, President Emmerson Mnangawa’s allies Victor Matemadanda, Douglas Mahiya and Christopher Mutsvangwa were on record saying sanctions were never a barrier to economic development in the country.
Mnangagwa himself said misgovernance and corruption had single-handedly destroyed the economy.
The West promised to re-engage Zimbabwe after Mnangagwa took over but nothing has happened yet.
Almost wo years after the removal of Mugabe from power, the Mnangagwa government has adopted Mugabe’s fight against sanctions and will this week spend ZWL$4 million, demonstrating against sanctions impossed on the country by the US and EU.
But Zimbabweans are divided over the issue of sanctions and their impact on the economy.
Here are some of the views Zim Morning Post got from a cross section of the Zimbabwean society:
Remove Sanction and see how we will work to improve.
Sanctions are affecting everyone. Sanctions have stopped us from buying medical supplies to improve the health system in the country – Obadiah Moyo.
Some opposition parties and democracy commentators have, however, maintained that: The economy is in shambles because of corruption and not sanctions.
Constitutional reforms are essential first before the removal of sanctions. Santctions are removed by reforms not taking kids off school.- Hopewell Chingono (media expert)
‘‘The sanctions are targeted at certain individuals and not the whole country.
Reforms will benefit Zimbabweans more than the westerners.
Sanctions bar armstrade with Europe as well as ban elites from travelling to the United States. Sadc may pretend to support us on the sanctions fiasco, but we know that deep down, they are laughing as we pray for the removal of sanctions. Instead implimenting appropriate reforms, we choose to cancel whole day of school and close business in protest against western imposed sanctions – Fadzai Mahere, Zimbabwean lawyer and opposition member.
Millicent Tsvangirai (daughter of the late MDC president, Morgan Tsvangirai) had this to say: The majority of ordinary Zimbabweans are suffering. Sanctions are targeted at Zimbabwe as a whole.
The issue of sanctions has also attracted debate in the business sector as they continue to call for their removal.
Strive Masiiwa, chairman of Econet Group, said: I think the sanctions should be removed. There is no justification for them anymore. I have always been on record to say the sanctions are not justified.
Shingi Munyeza- In the short term, I desire that all economic sanctions on Zimbabwe be removed; ZIDERA. In the short term, I desire that all sanctions we have imposed on ourselves be removed. (POSA and AIIPA). I stand with @StriveMasiyiwa
Brian Nichols, the US ambassador to Zimbabwe – ZIDERA has never come into play. The lack of reforms is what’s holding back progress.