Maravi

(HERALD) Sanctions must go before polls

Sanctions must go before polls

EDITOR — I would like to add my voice in response to the letter from the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe regarding the recent elections in his country and Zimbabwe, in particular the letter from Tirivavi (The Herald May 26, 2010). Tirivavi hit the nail on the head. It is practically impossible for Zimbabwe to hold free and fair elections at present.

In fact, I think President Mugabe and Zanu-PF must simply tell Tsvangirai, and his allies in the USA, UK and EU that there will be no elections in Zimbabwe for at least two years after they remove their illegal sanctions.

Only then can we have a free and fair election. PM Tsvangirai and his party must not talk about having elections unless the illegal sanctions are removed.

I am also surprised that there is still debate in Zimbabwe and elsewhere on whether Zimbabwe as a country is under sanctions or not.

These are not targeted sanctions at all. ZDERA and EU sanctions are targeted on the whole of Zimbabwe.

I urge The Herald and other Zimbabwean newspapers to publish ZDERA in its entirety and kill this debate once and for all.

Sanctions, coupled with direct funding of certain opposition political parties are a direct way of telling people not to vote for a certain party. This does not happen and is not allowed in British or American politics.

Zimbabweans had no say or influence in recent American and British elections.

So why should the USA and UK governments influence the outcome of elections here? If this is not direct interference in the electoral process, can the learned ambassador tell us what it is?

If their argument for doing this is lack of resources in Zimbabwe for funding democratic activities, then they should distribute the funds to all political parties in Zimbabwe through the UN where they can be scrutinised, as is the case with the funds for the on-going constitution making process.

I also urge all Zimbabweans, during the constitution-making process, to seek to bar any candidates clandestinely funded directly by foreign governments and donors from contesting in the elections.

Zimbabweans must remember that developed countries are what they are today because they broke all known human rights.

All monies that are circulating in their economies are ill-gotten proceeds from the slave trade, colonialism, wars and other immoral activities undertaken in other countries over several decades.

That is why they can afford to give US$46 billion to a country the size of Greece at the click of a finger.

All aid given to Africa over the last 50 or so years does not come anywhere close to this. Western democracy is not an ingredient for economic prosperity or human emancipation.

This version of democracy is now being used by the West to stifle economic growth in Africa. Africans must realise that it is our own version of democracy, that of empowering our people, that will get us to where the West is not the so-called democracy and aid.

Just as the Chinese are doing.

No one tells China what to do or not to do and their economy is the fastest growing economy in the world. We have to do it our own way. Africa can do it, but we need a couple of leaders like President Mugabe to take us forward.

It is for this reason that our President is unpopular and called all sorts of names in the West and the likes of Tsvangirai are preferred.

P. Makwamure,
Plot 19 Eskbank Farm, Harare.

Labels: ELECTIONS, SANCTIONS, ZDERA, ZTDERA

posted by MrK @ 4:12 PM