The Americans were very clear what they wanted the Zimbabwe government to do for them to lift the sanctions - hold free, fair and credible elections. Mnangagwa claims the elections were free, fair and credible but knows that is just nonsense. 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote; he says they will vote next time. The public media was not free and accessible to everyone and other candidates. The whole election process was not transparent, traceable and verifiable.
So having failed to get the sanctions lifted by doing the right thing, holding free, fair and credible elections; Mnangagwa is now hoping to have them lifted by asking lobbyists to falsify the record. Of course, honest lobbyists would not undertake such dirty work but they are others who will do it as long as they are paid big bucks - they may know this is a fool's errand but so what!
As a Zimbabwean this story is worrying for two basic reasons:
1)
Zimbabwe is desperately poor, the country’s
basic services such as health have all but collapse for lack of funds and yet
the regime continues to squander money of hopeless causes such as lobbying the
US Senator with falsified information.
2)
The fact that this Zanu PF resign is spending
money hand over fist to spruce up its tarnished image is a sign the regime has
no intention of changing its ways, the regime has no intention of implementing
the democratic reforms and restore the people’s freedoms and human rights
including the right to free, fair and credible elections. The regime is gearing
itself to have the sanctions lifted by hook and by crook because it has no
intention of doing the right thing. We, the people, fight for human freedom and
rights had better be prepared for a long fight! “Rwendo rurefu rwunoda
manyatera!” as one would say in Shona.
Mnangagwa has already said last year's elections were "free, fair and credible"! But to placate his political critics he has also agreed to implementing reforms. He has been very careful to say nothing else about these reforms knowing the naive and gullible amongst would assume they are the necessary reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. He is just buying time, he knows he will never implement any meaningful reforms. Never!
ReplyDeleteSince he is not going to get the Americans to lift the sanctions by holding free, fair and credible elections he is stepping up his drive to have the sanctions lifted by hook and by crook. The upholding of the freedoms and human rights of blacks in a distant country like Zimbabwe is not exactly a top priority in all Americans' mind. Besides by insisting on these values the Americans have allowed their economic competitors like China and Russia benefit from looting Zimbabwe's resources. There are many Americans who would want a piece of the action - middle finger to rigged elections!
Meanwhile there are clearly lobbyists willing to make a killing by promising Mnangagwa he can indeed have his cake and eat it too, he can rig elections and get the sanctions lifted too!
Corrupt and the failure to hold free and fair elections are the main causes of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, not sanctions. ,
Mnangagwa and Zanu PF rigged last year's elections, the regime is illegitimate and should step down. The regime has use the corrupt and incompetent opposition parties who participated in the flawed and illegal elections to give itself some modicum of credibility. The worsening economic meltdown is piling on the pressure for the regime to step down.
If the regime was to nicodemusly get the sanctions lifted it will give is cause to hang on to power as it will use the move as endorsement by the Americans that last July's elections were indeed free, fair and credible and thus the regime is legitimate! An act of desperation by a desperate regime! We must fight to make sure the sanctions remain in place.