Zanu-PF, MDC unite against sanctions renewal

regime on Zimbabwe, saying this may strain relations in the inclusive Government.
Analysts also said the extension was an attempt to rig elections expected later this year in MDC-T’s favour.
The EU on Tuesday removed 35 people from the travel ban component of the embargo, a development a European diplomat in Harare admitted was a small concession and would make things difficult for South Africa’s President Ja-cob Zuma in his efforts to bring Zimbabwe’s main political parties closer.
The bloc extended the widely-discredited embargo for another year citing what it called lack of political progress in Zimbabwe.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said the EU was still protesting Zimbabwe’s empowerment drive as en-capsulated in the land reform programme and economic indigenisation.
“The party is very clear, we are campaigning that the san-ctions must removed and we will continue doing so until they are removed.
“We are however, not surprised because their (EU) cry is for the restoration of land to the whites and we are saying that is unacceptable, the land reform is irreversible,” he said.
Cde Gumbo added: “The reasons they have cited for the extension are frivolous and indicate that they are driven by other things instead of the human rights that they mention.
“The violence they talk about has been caused by MDC-T while there are other countries in the world and here in Afri-ca that have worse conditions, but have not been put under sanctions.
“As far as we are concerned, we will continue with the indigenisation programme in the fight against the sanctions.”
The Zanu-PF spokesperson said sanctions indicated that parties in the inclusive Government were not united in calli-ng for their removal as agreed in the Global Political Agreement.
“To some extent, this will strain relations in the inclusive Government because we agreed that we should all call for the removal of the sanctions, but it is clear that we are not speaking with one voice.
“The other parties are changing from one position to the other; we should be speaking with one voice as Zimbabwe-ans.”
MDC vice president Mr Edwin Mushoriwa said the sanctions had not benefited the people of Zimbabwe.
“Our position is the same as ever – the sanctions will not benefit the people of this nation.
“We also believe that the sanctions affect the democracy agenda in the country. We want all sanctions removed,” he said.
Germany ambassador Albrecht Conze admitted on Tues-day that the EU was divided over the sanctions.
Two weeks ago, whistleblower website WikiLeaks revealed that Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece had questioned the legality of the sanctions that were imposed outside the UN Security Council as required by international law.
The website also said Finance Minister Tendai Biti has been consulted in coming up with the manner and form the illegal sanctions take.

Efforts to get a comment from MDC-T were fruitless yesterday.
Political analyst Mr Godwine Mureriwa said the extension of sanctions was an indirect way of rigging the elections scheduled for later this year.
“They are preparing to rig the elections that will be held this year on behalf of MDC-T.
“One can see a deliberate ploy to assist MDC-T and distort the whole election process so that the situation reverts to the 2008 era.
“The EU want to incite people against Government,” he said.
Mr Mureriwa said the sanctions would increase tension in the inclusive Government especially between Zanu PF and the MDC-T.
He said it was important to proceed with empowerment initiatives to reduce the illegal sanctions’ effects.
“This extension vindicates the position taken by Zanu-PF at the last People’s Conference (in December 2010) that the only way to counter the sanctions is to impose sanctions on those companies from countries that have imposed sanctions.
“The indigenisation programme should be now pursued with vigour because it is clear that the sanctions will only be removed if they succeed in their regime change agenda,” he said.

Persons removed from the list

Willia Bonyongwe,
Anne Flora Zimondi (nee Chairuka)
Rudo Grace Charamba
Isobel Chihuri (nee Halima)
Helen Gono
Tsitsi Sekeramayi (nee Chihuri)
Choice Parirenyatwa
Patricia Made
Zimbabwe Chiefs Council president, Chief Fortune Charumbira
Former Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Abigail Damasane
Zimbabwe Cricket boss Peter Chingoka,
Deputy Minister of Education, Lazarus Dokora
Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Victoria Chitepo
Zanu-PF politburo member Cde Kumbirai Kangai
Zanu-PF politburo member Cde Richard Ndhlovu
Zanu-PF politburo member Cde Joshua Malinga
Zanu-PF member Cde Khantibai Patel
Deputy Minister of Economic Planning and Development Samuel Undenge
Former Attorney-General Sobusa Gula Ndebele
Former Mashonaland East Governor Ray Kaukonde
Deputy Minister of Public Works Aguy Georgias
Former chairperson of the Electoral Supervisory Commission Theophilus Gambe
Former Finance and Economic Development minister Chris Kuruneri
Senate Deputy President Cde Naison Ndlovu
Former Zanu-PF Chiredzi legislator Selina Pote
Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Tracy Mutinhiri
Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Melusi Matshiya
George Nyathi
Former Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr Timothy Stamps
Former Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Dr Edwin Muguti
Former Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Obert Matshalaga
National heroine Cde Sabina Mugabe (deceased)
National hero and former Mashonaland Central Governor Ephraim Masawi (deceased)
Assistant Commissioner Thomsen Jangara (deceased)
Thenjiwe Lesabe (deceased)