adminWhat this means for the nation of Zimbabwe is that we should brace ourselves for a long winter and gird our loins for the battle ahead even. First it was the land reform programme that the West opposed, being led by the British whose kith and kin had been comfortable landowners that relegated blacks to barren lands, and now the battle front has been extended and gone literally underground where the West seeks to stop trade in Marange diamonds in a bid to strangle Zimbabwe economically.
This is the new battle line on the economic front and it also manifests itself through sub-plots such as the gay rights movement, democracy and human rights campaigns and electoral pre-requisites stewed in Western capitals to be served right here in Zimbabwe and in Africa generally.
Our sister paper, Sunday News, reported in its latest issue that Zimbabwe could expect a greater onslaught from the US in 2012 since it would be taking over the chairmanship of the Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme, which has certified Zimbabwe’s Marange diamonds for sale.
The US, which joined the British and the European Union in slapping sanctions on the country after being stung by land reforms in Zimbabwe, has added Marange Resources and Mbada Diamonds on its sanctions list citing the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation’s shareholding in the companies as the reason for its action. The ZMDC is owned by the Government and was slapped with sanctions in 2008.
This is the same United States government that will preside over the KPCS next year. God help us.
It is our hope and prayer that the US will not use its power to sway other members of the KPCS from its professional path that saw it withstand political pressure not to certify Zimbabwe diamonds.
We are heartened that our Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach in dealing with the sanctions since the powerful nations now seek to infiltrate many international bodies and turn them against the country to serve their purposes.
We should jealously guard our KPCS victory and use diamond revenues to get our economy back on track. These are our resources whether the Americans and the British like it or not, and we make no apologies about exploiting them for the betterment of our people.
It is also against this background of reclaiming our heritage and warding off detractors that we welcome the legal route the Government has taken against the European Union which imposed sanctions against the country. Just like in the case of the KPCS where US influence is feared, Attorney General Johannes Tomana believes the General Court of the European Court of Justice would rule fairly on the challenge over the legality of the EU embargo against Zimbabwe though he acknowledges the enormity of the task.
The EU is being put in the dock for the unilateral imposition of economic sanctions and travel bans against Zimbabwe without the backing of the United Nations. Our hope is that 2012 becomes the year that we exorcise the US and EU ghosts that have been haunting our economy for the past decade since evil can never triumph over good.
Zimbabwean resources are for Zimbabweans and let no one subvert the people’s right to ownership of their indigenous resources, not even the US and Britain.
Online Reporter