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Lovemore Chikova Development Dialogue
The right to development is an absolute human right, yet there are some countries which still treat others with disdain when it comes to this important human rights issue by imposing illegal sanctions that stifle progress.
The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by some western countries should be viewed in this context — that their initial aim is nothing else, but to stifle development.
When development is stunted, those western countries that imposed the illegal sanctions hope the people will be negatively affected and turn against their government.
The western countries hope all this will lead to regime change.
The concept follows a well define conceptual line: (i) impose sanctions; (ii) stifle development; (iii) incite people to revolt against the government over lack of development and (iv) regime change.
Yet this model has proved not to work in many countries where western countries have succeeded in imposing illegal sanctions, including in Zimbabwe.
In all the countries suffering under illegal sanctions, the effect has been limited to stifling development after preventing governments from pursuing their chosen path of development.
At the end of it all, the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are targeted at first preventing development, in the hope that the state of affairs will eventually lead to regime change.
But the question that boggles the mind as Zimbabwe approaches October 25, the day sat aside by SADC as the Zimbabwe anti-sanctions day, is: After realising the failure of sanctions to cause regime change, not only in Zimbabwe, but in many other countries, why are the western countries still maintaining them?
Well, some may argue that regime change is not a one-day process.
But why would western countries pride themselves in the suffering of ordinary people for years just in the hope that one day there will be regime change?
This is a reflection of the skewed nature of the world affairs where some countries view their people as the only ones that matter and are prepared to make people in other countries suffer just to stroke their egos.
The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe have succeeded only in impeding the country’s developmental goals, thereby denying its people of the opportunity to enjoy full development just like any other nation.
We have all been applauding the government for the developmental projects that are happening in various parts of the country, but just imagine how much more could have been achieved without sanctions stalking the country.
The potential that Zimbabwe has is being demonstrated through these massive projects like roads development, dam construction, irrigation projects, power generating projects, aviation projects, especially the rehabilitation of airports and rural industrialisation projects.
Without sanctions, the country could have done more in pursuit of such development.
Yet, many multilateral human rights declarations, including the Sustainable Development Goals, recognise development as a human right that should be enjoyed by every citizen of the planet.
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights also recognise this important point.
The point being made by all these international protocols is that sanctions hold countries back from achieving their developmental goals, and in the process affecting the people’s aspirations as sovereign nations.
It is time western countries in the European Union and the United States realise these important facts and do away with sanctions as a weapon to make other countries submit to their whims.
It is in this context that these western countries should heed the call from SADC countries that have been making the point clear that the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe have over spilled to affect their developmental agendas.
Imagine the whole region’s developmental agenda being put to a standstill because of illegal sanctions imposed on a member – that is not justified at all.
The region’s declaration of October 25 as the Zimbabwe anti-sanctions day is a sure signal that the effects of the illegal sanctions are no longer about Zimbabwe, but the whole region.
The high number of African leaders who called for the removal of the sanctions on Zimbabwe at the recent 77th United Nations General Assembly has since removed the question from being regional.
It is now a continental question, and any country worth its salt cannot afford to ignore the voice of a whole continent against the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
United Nations special rapporteur on sanctions Ms Alena Douhan came to Zimbabwe last year where she spent 10 days assessing the impact of the illegal sanctions on the country.
She too found out that the developmental aspirations of the country have been held back by the illegal sanctions.
Ms Douhan has since presented her report to the UN.
The bottom line is that sanctions are ethically wrong because they harm the people of any country they are imposed on.
The outcomes of such sanctions have been known over the years, with underdevelopment being the major one.
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