(TALKZIMBABWE) EU 'partially lifts' illegal Zim sanctions

EU 'partially lifts' illegal Zim sanctions
Nancy Pasipanodya
Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:44:00 +0000

EU Troika including Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Ms Gunilla Carlsson (r) meets with Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on 16 June 2009 in Stockholm.

THE European Union has removed nine companies from the sanctions list and delisted various individuals, after Zanu PF indicated that it will not give in to any more MDC-T concessions if the targeted sanctions remain in place.

The EU imposed the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 after differences emerged between Harare and Britain over the land reform programme.

The announcement was made in the bloc's official journal.on Tuesday. The EU said there was a ‘lack of progress in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement signed in September 2008’.

The decision was made through the formal announcement in the EU's official journal to prevent the sanctions expiring. EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation more fully when they meet in Brussels next week, said Guellner.

The partial lifting of sanctions is a partial victory for Zanu PF which has argued that there was no reason why those sanctions existed in the first place.

Zanu PF quickly dismissed the EU's move saying that it will not alter the position of the party on sanctions, and will not encourage a shift in Zanu PF's position in the ongoing power-sharing talks.

President Mugabe and his Zanu PF party last month resolved not to negotiate with the MDC-T after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband revealed that the MDC-T party controlled some of the sanctions.

Miliband also said that the illegal and ruinous sanctions against Zimbabwe will only be lifted on the advice of the MDC-T party.

The 27-member bloc, which had been split on which direction to take regarding Zimbabwe also resolved to extend the sanctions timeframe "for a further period of 12 months."

The individuals delisted include those Zanu PF members who died recently; viz, Vitalis Zvinavashe, Richard Hove and Joseph Msika.

Companies delisted include Zimre Reinsurance Company, ZB Financial Holdings Ltd (Finhold) and the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe. The EU said there were no longer any grounds to keep them on the sanctions list, although it was not clear why they were on that list in the first place.

Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company, Ziscosteel, and Oryx Diamonds Ltd (Oryx Natural Resources), have also been delisted.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai recently wrote to the EU to remove the sanctions as Zanu PF has indicated that there would not be any movement in ongoing power-sharing negotiations.

Other persons taken off the sanctions list include Oman businessman Thamer Bin Al Shanfari, Dumiso Dabengwa, and policeman Thomsen Jangara (a.k.a. Changara).

Other entities removed include the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe, Intermarket Holdings Ltd, Scotfin Ltd, ZB Holdings Ltd, Zimre Holdings Ltd and Zimre Reinsurance Company (PVT) Ltd.

ZANU PF RESPONSE

Zanu PF dismissed the EU's move saying they want all sanctions removed.

"We are not worried by their extension. It's a continuation of the struggle, just like the liberation struggle. We are our own liberators. Why should we worry?" said Zanu PF party spokesman Rugare Gumbo.

"We have always maintained that the sanctions were foisted by the MDC," Gumbo said.

The latest EU move is unlikely to shift the Zanu PF position. Power-sharing talks scheduled for Tuesday failed to take off, amid revelations that the two parties are refusing to shift positions.