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The European Union and the United States should swallow their pride and admit that they were wrong in imposing illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe. The sanctions, which have caused untold suffering to ordinary Zimbabweans, should be lifted unconditionally. Zimbabwe successfully held its harmonised elections last July which were won resoundingly by Zanu-PF. Zimbabwe, as President Mugabe said recently, does not understand why the West still refuses to recognise the government which was elected by the majority in an election that was endorsed by several observers.
The observers included the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community and the African-Caribbean-Pacific states. “Despite this positive verdict, our detractors have remained trapped in their negative posture. We call on them to review their positions and join in re-establishing constructive relations,” said Cde Mugabe.
Harare has on many fora made it clear that it is ready to re-engage the EU and US that imposed illegal sanctions on the country as punishment for its decision to address the skewed land ownership which favoured the minority whites. Since the government embarked on the fast track land reform programme in 2000, more than 200,000 families have been allocated land in prime farming areas which used to be a preserve of white commercial farmers.
The development has seen the country registering a marked improvement in its food security. The aim is for the country to regain its status of being the bread basket for southern African hence the call on new farmers to fully utilise the land.
The world is formulating the global development agenda to succeed the Millennium Development Goals and as long as countries like Zimbabwe remain disadvantaged as a result of the illegal sanctions, they will continue to lag behind. It is important that those who preach the gospel of equality like the EU and the US should demonstrate their commitment to the well being of all people, Zimbabweans included.
The Zimbabwean economy remains suppressed despite the fact that the country is endowed with natural resources such as minerals because of the effects of the debilitating sanctions. These sanctions are largely to blame for the closure of many industries that has seen thousands of workers losing their jobs. It is against this background that we call on the EU and the US to accept that it is the Zimbabweans’ democratic right to elect which political party to preside over their governance issues and should therefore not be punished for exercising this right.
The land reform programme, which by the way is irreversible, could not be avoided because land is a finite resource which should be shared by all Zimbabweans and not just a few as was the case before independence. We want to implore the EU and US to, without delay, lift the illegal sanctions so that Zimbabwe can realise the full potential of its God-given riches such as minerals.
Zimbabwe can only eradicate poverty if it is allowed to trade freely globally.
Online Reporter