After the Supreme Court ruling, which resulted in the Dr
Thokozani Khupe led faction assuming the reins of power in the troubled MDC,
the opposition party, that previously engaged the Western world to impose
illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, reached out to the EU.
Through Mr Fabio Massimo Castaldo, an Italian, who is a
member of the European Parliament, the MDC A sought to pile up pressure on the
EU to interfere in Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs.
Recently, in written questions to the EU Parliament, Mr
Castaldo suggested the imposition of the so-called Magnitsky type sanctions
that are being used by the Western world to punish countries that do not pander
to its whims.
According to the Parliamentarians for Global Action, in
April this year, Mr Castaldo, at the instigation of the MDC A tabled two
written questions to the European Commission and the European External Action
Service (EEAS) concerning the expulsion and political persecution of PGA
Member, Hon. Dorcas Sibanda and other Zimbabwean Members of Parliament.
The questions read, “What can the EU do in support of the
exercise of civil and political rights in Zimbabwe? As envisaged in Articles 8
and 29 and Annex VIII on political dialogue as regards to human rights,
democratic principles, and the rule of law of the Cotonou agreement, can the EU
enter into meaningful political dialogue to exercise pressure on the Zimbabwean
Government to ensure the respect of democratically elected Parliamentarians”.
In response to the MDC A, the EU used its formal dialogue
with Zimbabwe on June 10 and expectedly raised the concerns of the MDC A.
“The EU held a formal political dialogue with Zimbabwe at
ministerial level on 10 June 2021 in Harare. On this occasion, the EU raised
the issue of the recall of MDC Alliance parliamentarians from Parliament. The
EU also called upon the Zimbabwean Government to organise at the earliest
occasion the holding of by-elections for all vacant seats in Parliament to
uphold the crucial representational role of Parliament by ensuring that all
people are at all times represented in Parliament by an elected member of their
choice’’.
This, has been a pattern for the MDC A, which was formed at
the behest of white former farmers who lost land during the land reform
programme.
However, while previous attempts to drag the name of the
country have succeeded, as is manifested in the imposition of illegal sanctions
on the country which continue to bleed the nation, the dawn of the Second
Republic has seen relations between the EU and Zimbabwe thawing.
The rapprochement drive that is being driven by President
Mnangagwa has culminated in political dialogue between Zimbabwe and the 27
member states’ bloc of largely Western nations. Herald
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