Zim calls out lying America

Kudakwashe Mugari Deputy News Editor

Zimbabwe has called out the United States of America for trying “to hide behind the finger” by describing its sanctions regime as merely restrictive measures.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi yesterday condemned the posturing  after US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr Tibor P Nagy, dismissed the outcry against the embargo as “a very false narrative”.

“This unacceptable statement is a public stunt by America and her cronies meant to demonstrate to other countries of the world that there was nothing wrong in what the United States was doing, but just a normal diplomatic way of handling a disagreement between two countries when in fact the sanctions are hurting even the innocent citizen in more ways than one,” said Minister Ziyambi. The minister also lashed out at latest attempts by the US to stifle Zimbabwe’s diamond industry by alleging that they were being produced under exploitative conditions.

“I checked with the courts, police, ZACC (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). We don’t have any reports of child forced labour, particularly in Chiadzwa and also in other mining sectors,” he said.

He challenged Washington to provide evidence so that the law can take its natural course since child labour is also against laws governing Zimbabwe.

Separately, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said sanctions were heinous and pauperised Zimbabweans to force regime change.

However, she noted, that Zimbabwe had earned support from countries in the region who have since declared October 25 as the day of solidarity against sanctions on the country.

Minister Mutsvangwa slapped down Mr Nagy’s misleading claims on the existence of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (2001) and a battery of Executive Orders declaring a “state of emergency” with respect to Zimbabwe since 2003.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the US foreign policy establishment, after two decades of relentless and unjustified hostility towards Zimbabwe, “had since lapsed into a reflexive syndrome”.

“This is triggered by the stark futility of their failed state regime change agenda against the small but plucky African nation,” she said.

“The cruel policy has since earned Harare the unprecedented show of support by its sisterly SADC states . . . Its heinous impact being the economic penury imposed on the populace. All this cruelty is premised upon the misguided, forlorn and elusive wish that imposed hardship may make the Zimbabwe populace abandon their affinity to ZANU-PF.”

The minister said Washington’s desperation to fault Zimbabwe had been of late taken to “patent and embarrassing lies about non-existent forced labour in the much targeted exporting diamond industry of the much- persecuted African nation”.  Speaking during a Tele-press briefing, Mr Nagy said he wanted to correct a “very false narrative out there” about sanctions on Zimbabwe.

“Some people say that the United States has sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We do not, repeat do not, have sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe,” he said without shame.

He continued: “We have sanctions against certain individuals and certain corporations and there could be greater detail on that, but not against the country of Zimbabwe. There is nothing to stop US businesses from investing in Zimbabwe, from going to Zimbabwe.”