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The cracks emerging within the European Union over the bloc’s illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe show that the crippling embargo is of no purpose and should be lifted as a matter of urgency.
Last week, Belgium broke ranks with the rest of the EU when it called for the immediate lifting of sanctions on diamond mining companies in the wake of the widely hailed harmonised elections. While Britain flexed its muscle to influence the entire EU bloc to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe following its bilateral dispute with Harare over the land reform programme, there was going to be a point when the other EU members would see reason and seek to normalise relations with Zimbabwe.
Belgium is taking the lead because the sanctions on the diamond mining companies have hit Brussels hard.
Brussels is the centre of the global diamond trade and home to Antwerp, the world’s leading diamond trading hub. There is no guessing as to why Brussels is pushing for the removal of the sanctions on the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation because it is eyeing tapping into the country’s vast diamond reserves that are touted to dominate the world market for the next five years.
Reports suggest that diamond production from other major producing countries is projected to fall rapidly and Zimbabwe is tipped to satisfy up to 30 percent of the world diamond demand by 2015.
This is because leading diamond firms such as Russia’s Alrosa and De Beers are facing a reduction in production by venturing into underground mining.
The Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation is in joint ventures with diamond mining companies — Mbada Diamonds, Anjin, Marange Resources and Diamond Mining Corporation, in Marange where the mining is easier.
The Marange operations have been certified by the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme despite spirited attempts by the EU and its western allies to have them condemned as conflict diamonds.
Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mr Van de Velde said the call for the lifting of the sanctions was in line with an agreement made by the EU Foreign Ministers in February that the grouping should remove the sanctions on ZMDC within a month after the elections unless member countries unanimously agree that the elections were not credible.
The EU said it will be guided by Sadc on the Zimbabwean elections and Sadc has since proclaimed that the polls were a free, credible and fair expression of the will of Zimbabwean voters.
The sanctions, in their entirety and not only those on the diamond mines, should go because Zimbabweans have expressed their will and voted President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.
Zimbabweans cannot be faulted and punished for their choice because they made that choice freely in a credible process.
A bloodless revolution has been taking place in Zimbabwe where the citizens realise that agriculture and mining are key to their economic fortunes and those of their country. This is in tandem with the policies being pushed by the Zanu-PF Government. People have been empowered with the land and new farmers have taken to tobacco farming by a storm and are firmly establishing themselves as serious growers of the cash crop. The indigenisation and economic empowerment programme focusing on facilitating the entry of Zimbabweans into mainstream sectors of the economy and giving them priority in the exploitation of the country’s natural resources completes the revolution.
Surely no amount of intimidation and embargoes will make the people of Zimbabwe deviate from their revolutionary path or squeeze their economy to “scream” as wished by the West.
The economy is now “screaming” for investment partners and the earlier the West realises this, the better.
The West might stubbornly maintain their sanctions but we are sure other regions of the world will elect to work in partnership with Zimbabwe. Just last week indications in Bulawayo and Harare pointed to this when former Fifa World Player of the Year and Portuguese international Luis Figo visited Bulawayo and Matabeleland to explore mining opportunities while Harare businessman Farai Jere was concluding agreements, to build a Hilton hotel in the capital, with representatives of the world renowned hospitality brand.
Online Reporter