US in further sanctions overture

Wharton saying his country was keen to normalise relations ahead of the harmonised elections.
Reverend Jackson, who was in Harare last week, pledged to work for the removal of sanctions in the same manner apartheid was defeated in South Africa.

His visit followed a prior one by civil rights campaigner Ambassador Andrew Young who was despatched by the State Department to deliver a message of conciliation to President Mugabe nearly three weeks ago.

Mr Young, who was US ambassador to the United Nations, was accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Mr Reuben Brigety who said the US was keen on building bridges it had burnt after buying into the bilateral dispute between Zimbabwe and Britain.

In the wake of Mr Young’s visit, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted sanctions on Agribank and the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe.

“I am working full time to improve our relations, strengthen our communication with each other and build bridges so that together, we can move the relationship forward and beyond sanctions. I invite every Zimbabwean to do this with me,” Mr Wharton said.

“We believe that dialogue and respectful engagement are the first steps to moving our bilateral relationship forward and I have been working to achieve this since my arrival last year. The visit by Ambassador Young and earlier visits this year to Zimbabwe by senior US government officials are part of this initiative,’’ he said.

On Thursday this week, Ofac removed eight people, the majority of them now deceased from the sanctions list, a development that was dismissed as tokenism since Government’s position is sanctions must go in toto.

Those off the sanctions list are; Comrades Chindori Chininga, Tinaye Chigudu, Isack Stan Gorerazvo Mudenge, David Karimanzira, Solomon Tapfumanei Mujuru, Solomon Tavengwa, Barbra Mandizha, Khantibhal Patel and Calgary Farm of Mazowe.

“Should Zimbabwe hold peaceful, credible presidential and parliamentary elections this year and reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people, the US is prepared to consider significant further actions toward ending targeted sanctions, developing trade and economic ties, and further normalising our bilateral relationship with Zimbabwe.

“We are also prepared to consider rolling back our sanctions on Zimbabwe in response to positive progress on Zimbabwe’s part in meeting its own reform commitments under the Global Political Agreement and the Sadc roadmap,” Mr Wharton said.

The sanctions were, however, signed into law on December 21 2001 as punishment for Government’s decision to acquire white-held farms for resettlement, while the GPA that the US now quotes as a pretext for maintaining the ruinous embargo was signed on September 15 2008.

Mr Wharton said a peaceful and credible election was positive progress that would see the US normalise relations with Zimbabwe and end the sanctions.

Said Mr Wharton; “ . . . we want to see President Mugabe’s call for peaceful, unbiased elections honoured and enforced. Key State institutions, especially those in the security sector, have a special responsibility to enforce the President’s calls to prevent the violence and intimidation that has
undermined democratic process in Zimbabwe in the past.”

Addressing tens of thousands of people gathered at the National Sports Stadium to celebrate the country’s 33rd Independence Day anniversary last month, President Mugabe said police would deal decisively with anyone involved in political violence regardless of political affiliation ahead of harmonised elections due this year.

He reiterated that rival political party supporters should co-exist as weekly briefings of the socio-political environment from Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri every Monday indicated there were some cases of violence.

It is against this background that Ambassador Wharton reiterated President Mugabe’ call, saying; “When violence occurs, law enforcement authorities should enforce the law in an even-handed, unbiased way, including protecting the victims, arresting the perpetrators and carrying out professional investigations and prosecutions regardless of the political affiliation of the perpetrators or victims.”

He said building on such calls from President Mugabe, he would push for the normalisation of relations between Zimbabwe and America during his tenure as Ambassador.