Tyrannical regimes have no respect of the law, fact, truth and reality.
They will ignored well established historic facts that do not suit their
narrative. In his recent article, “US sanctions shatter Zim's economic revival
roadmap”, Elijah Chihota, a well known Zanu PF apologist, has been distorting
historic facts to blame Zimbabwe’s economic mess on sanctions.
“By addressing the land question to correct colonial historical land
imbalances, Zimbabwe seemed to have stepped on a lion's tail as Britain sounded
the trumpet of distress,” wrote Chihota.
“Zimbabwe never interfered with the USA business interests, but because
of the above dispute with Britain, the US took sides with the country's former
colonisers. The result was the imposition of the Zimbabwe Democracy and
Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) of December 2001. With it came the so called
"targeted sanctions" which are not targeted after all but affect all
people even those not on the sanctions list.”
There are a number of historic facts that Chihota has air-brushed out
which must be reinstated.
1.
When the West
imposed the targeted sanctions, they said these were imposed as punishment on
the Zanu PF leaders for denying ordinary Zimbabweans their basic human freedoms
and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and even
the right to life. Whilst it is highly probable that the West had another
ulterior motives for imposing the sanctions, still it cannot be denying that
Zanu PF was riding roughshod of the ordinary people. For the regime to belittle
its corrupt and tyrannical rule is therefore to rub hot chilli into the open
wounds it had inflicted on the long suffering masses.
2.
By 2001, the time
the sanctions were imposed, the Zimbabwe economy was already in serious
trouble. The country had already gone through two five-year economic reform
programmes designed to revive the economy. The programmes failed to revive the
economy because Zanu PF never implement the core reforms called for such as the
reduction of the country’s bloated army, civil service and cabinet, end the
mismanagement and corruption, etc. Indeed these core economic structural
problems have remained to this day or be it have grown worse. Corruption, for
example, has become so rampant the country lost $15 billion of diamond revenue
alone in 2010 to 2014, according to Mugabe’s own admission.
3.
During the 2008 to
2013 GNU the Zimbabwe economy registered a 12% growth rate after a decade of
economic decline. The country scrapped the Z$, after inflation had soared to a
record 500 billion per cent, and one or two other things was enough to restore
some order and sanity. The sanctions remained in place throughout the GNU and
yet the country enjoyed so economic recovery; proof that sanctions are not the
ones fuelling the economic meltdown.
4.
The Americans
promised to lift all the sanctions if Mnangagwa honoured his promise to hold
free, fair and credible elections in 2018. And they explained to him what
exactly they were looking for. They wanted to see the 3 million Zimbabweans in
the diaspora allowed to vote; a free public media; etc.; etc. Mnangagwa failed
to deliver on any of these things and so the Americans are right to retain the
sanction. Every Zimbabwean who appreciates the importance of ending the curse
of rigged elections as the key to good governance, welcomes that decision.
5.
As long as Zimbabwe
remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs there is no hope
of any meaningful economic recovery. Investors do not do business with thugs
for obvious reasons, they do not trust the thugs, there are too many risks, etc.
Whilst Zanu PF can deny the reality; what the regime cannot do, however, is
change reality. Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is real and cannot be wished
away.
“Learning from yesterday, today acts prudently lest by his actions he
spoils the future.” This is the message encapsulated in Tiziano Vecelli’s
(Titian) great painting, The Allegory of Age Governed by Prudence.
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because for 38 years
Zanu PF has denied the nation the opportunity to learn from the past. We must
change this here and now or we will continue to forfeit our chance get out of
the mess and build a better and brighter future for ourselves and
posterity.
GOOD DAY AND WELCOME TO STANDARD ONLINE FINANCE LTD
ReplyDeleteDo you need 100% Finance? I can fix your financial needs with a lower back problem of 3% interest rate. Whatever your circumstances, self employed, retired, have a poor credit rating, we could help. flexible repayment, Contact us at: standardonlineinvestment@gmail.com
Apply now for all types of loans and get money urgently!
* The interest rate is 3%
* Choose between 1 and 30 years of repayment.
* Choose between monthly and annual repayment plan.
* Terms and conditions of the flexibility of loans.
Regards,
Mr. Abdul Muqse