THE Donald Trump-led United States administration has
tabled a raft of tough conditions to be met before full engagement with
Zimbabwe and removal of sanctions, setting the stage for a possible clash with
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF government.
This came as three opposition leaders – Nelson Chamisa
(MDC-T), Tendai Biti (People’s Democratic Party) and Jacob Ngarivhume (Transform
Zimbabwe) under the banner of the MDC Alliance – and several civil society
groups visited the US this week on a diplomatic mission to present the
country’s state of affairs.
Acting principal deputy assistant secretary of State for
Africa, Stephanie Sullivan on Tuesday demanded that Zimbabwe should reform
first before opening negotiations for re-engagement.
She said engagement with the recently-inaugurated Mnangagwa
government should be premised on demonstrated behaviour change and not
rhetorical intentions.
“Along the way, there will be many actions that we will
need to assess, as we look to re-engage.
“We will need to see free and fair elections.
“The military needs to return to its barracks and State
institutions should be demilitarised,” Sullivan said in a paper titled The
Future of Zimbabwe to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations subcommittee
on African Affairs.
“Perpetrators of abuses against civilians should be held
accountable regardless of party affiliation.
“The government must engage in hard economic reforms,
including addressing budget deficits, reforming the Indigenisation Act and
reducing corruption.
“We will want to see improved protection of fundamental
freedoms, a freer media, and a truth and reconciliation process.
“The people of Zimbabwe deserve these reforms, and many
more.”
However, Zanu PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday
scoffed at conditions set by Trump’s administration, saying the ruling party
had no obligation to take orders from another sovereign State.
“We are never given conditions of engagements.
“As a party we never work on conditions,” he said,
referring further questions to Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, who
was not reachable on his mobile phone.
MDC-T secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora yesterday
reiterated his party’s position that Zimbabwe should only approach the
international community for engagement with clean hands.
“The MDC-T wants re-engagement with the international
community on condition that Zimbabwe undertakes the necessary economic,
political and social reforms, which include going back to constitutionalism and
the rule of law.
“It also includes the removal of all forms of violence and
intimidation.
“The MDC-T doesn’t support anything that prolongs the
suffering of the people of Zimbabwe.
“We are supporting re-engagement, it should start, but it
must be on a give-and-take basis.”
Opposition officials and civic groups have been accused of
begging the US to maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe despite Mnangagwa’s promises
of wide-ranging reforms.
The MDC Alliance denied calling for the sanctions, saying
their role was to enlighten the international community on the need to
implement desired reforms before the elections.
“The objectives of the trip are as follows: A push for and
advocacy for a transition to a democratic order – Operation Restore Legitimacy
and Democracy – stating a case for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe,”
Chamisa said.
In his position paper to the US Senate committee last
night, Biti called for the immediate return to democracy after a military
operation that overthrew former President Robert Mugabe.
Biti called for immediate restoration of the country to
constitutionalism, the rule of law, and legitimate civilian rule, accusing Zanu
PF of using the military to subvert constitutional order and entrench undemocratic
rule.
“The military must be demobilised from the streets,” his
position paper said.
Human Rights Watch official, Dewa Mavhinga, accused of
calling for the renewal of sanctions, yesterday described his accusers as
pushing for a propaganda agenda.
“But I did not call for sanctions. There is a huge
difference there. Talk of sanctions is propaganda,” he said.
“My view is that the Mnangagwa government should be
measured on its ability to deliver a democratic election in 2018 and return
soldiers to the barracks.
“A military takeover is not the benchmark for
re-engagement. Instead, focus must be on an urgent roadmap to democratic
elections, where the military plays no part.”
A Zimbabwean journalist and former human rights lawyer,
Peter Godwin said removing individual US sanctions would be rewarding Mnangagwa
for his “internal coup” and could only perpetuate the culture of impunity
infesting Zimbabwean politics.
“If we reward Mnangagwa’s ‘same as it ever was’ Zanu PF for
its internal coup, for example, by prematurely dropping individual sanctions,
we would help cement the culture of impunity that already infects Zimbabwe,
where the perpetrators never face the consequences of their actions, and where
real freedom and reform remain elusive,” he said in his address to the US
Congress. Newsday
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