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(STICKY) (TALKZIMBABWE) Tsvangirai admits to misleading nation over sanctions

Tsvangirai admits to misleading nation over sanctions
By: Sixpence Manyengavana
Posted: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 4:55 pm

MDC-T leader and prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has admitted to misleading the nation over his party’s position on the removal of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union on the country.

Impeccable sources have revealed that Tsvangirai recently told the MDC-T National Executive meeting held at Harvest House that his call for the lifting of sanctions was just political rhetoric meant to pacify those calling for him to denounce the sanctions.

“The party’s position remains that the sanctions must not be removed. What we say in public and what we discuss here are totally different things and obviously this cannot be a matter of public record,” Tsvangirai told the gathering.

“The statement I made in the presence of the Norwegian Minister Soren Pind was a publicity stunt aimed at appeasing the Zanu-PF supporters and nothing more.

"After all, since when did you start to believe news from ZBC,” the MDC-T leader reportedly told the meeting.

A decade ago, Tsvangirai had, in his capacity as leader of the opposition MDC, advocated the imposition of sanctions as means of forcing regime change.

Tsvangirai was forced to convene this meeting after he was taken to task by MDC-T legislators who had queried the party’s position on sanctions following reports that he had called for the removal of the ruinous embargo.

In the same meeting, Tsvangirai challenged MDC-T Harare Province to stage a counter demonstration by Zanu-PF youths that took place on 24 February 2009 that culminated in him being handed over the youths’ petition.

He argued that the counter-demonstration would put across his party’s position that nothing had changed.

The British have indicated that the MDC T guides them on the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. British foreign Secretary David Miliband is on record stating that the MDC T would guide the British government on what course of action to be taken as far as the removal of the sanction is concerned.

However, Tsvangirai appeared on national television defending the British position.

“It is not what we say but what we do that is going to determine the removal of the sanctions. Those who imposed the sanctions have their own benchmarks they are going to use in order to remove the embargo”, he said.

Tsvangirai’s treacherous comments have drawn widespread criticism from the generality of Zimbabweans, who have borne the brunt of the sanctions. Some argued that he is digging his own grave by refusing to out rightly condemn sanctions.

“The age of equivocation is long gone. Who ever makes the mistake of taking public for granted risks political irrelevance”, said one social commentator.

“Sanctions are not going to be removed because Prime Minister Tsvangirai came out on ZTV calling for their removal. If he is genuine in his calling, he should go to the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union and tell those guys to let Zimbabwe off the sanctions hook then we can start respecting him as our Prime Minister”, said political analyst Dr. Munyaradzi Hove.

The EU, which first imposed sanctions on 18 February 2002, has continued to resist calls by bodies like Sadc to lift sanctions when Zimbabwe’s unity government was formed on 11 February 2009. The body is citing lack of progress in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed in September 2008.

The EU believes sanctions are necessary to keep pressure on President Mugabe in order to effect regime change.

Western governments are aware that Zimbabweans have awakened to the fact that there is nothing “targeted” about sanctions since the embargo was put into place as a direct result of the implementation of the land reform programme, period.

South African President Jacob Zuma, on a recent state visit to the United Kingdom, unequivocally called for the removal of the sanctions to help Zimbabwe move forward. He assured the Britons that progress is being made in Zimbabwe but the UK maintained a deaf ear.

Labels: MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NEOCOLONIALISM, SANCTIONS, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 7:31 PM