COMMENT - The people and economy of Zimbabwe have been under economic sanctions since at least Jan. 1st 2002, when the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 came into force. ZDERA put a credit freeze on The Government of Zimbabwe, through
Section 4C titled Multilateral Finance Restriction, which froze the Zimbabwean government's lines of credit at (Section 3) international financial institutions,
including the IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank, African Development Fund, Asian Development Bank, Multilateral Guaranty Agency, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
This was the effect on tobacco exports of the implementation of ZDERA in the year 2002. Notice that throughout the 'farm invasions', the economy grew.
Tobacco Exports:
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
548.8 594.1 434.6 321.3 226.7 203.8
ZDERA destroyed the Zimbabwe Dollar. You know that the MDC and their backers are liars and cheats, when they cannot even own up to their own economic sanctions - because they know how unpopular economic sanctions are with the Zimbabwean people.
Read more here.
They do not represent the people of Zimbabwe, they represent Anglo-American De Beers, just like every neoliberal regime change party in the world represents corporate interests.
US jewellers wield Zidera on Zim gems
Saturday, 23 June 2012 18:31
Business Editor
Jewellers in the United States are now invoking the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) to try and shut the door on diamonds from Marange, a move that will cut off access to the world’s biggest jewellery market and ultimately affect the local mainstream economy.
Zidera was passed by the US Congress in December 2001 to prevent companies in America from dealing with Zimbabwean firms directly or through third parties as part of a raft of illegal sanctions imposed by Washington on Harare. Already, there have been disruptions to the fiscus as inflows from diamond proceeds have been less than forecasted.
Recent statistics from the Ministry of Finance indicate that diamond dividend remittances to Treasury in the first quarter of the year only amounted to $30 million against a projected target of $122 million.
In addition, the Minister of Finance, Mr Tendai Biti, has since indicated that the budget targets are now set to be reviewed downwards in the forthcoming Mid-year Fiscal Policy Review.
Though there were spirited attempts by various advocacy groups to broaden the definition of conflict diamonds to include “human rights” issues at a Kimberly Process meeting held in Washington DC this month, African and Asian members of the Working Group on Reform rejected the proposal.
However, jewellery organisations in the United States have resorted to conveniently using Zidera to stymie the flow of Marange diamonds on the global market.
The United States, with a gross domestic product per-capita of more than $48 000, is the world’s biggest market for diamonds at 50 percent followed by Japan at 15 percent and India at 5 percent.
It is believed that the move by the jewellers is meant to frustrate Indian diamantaires (those who cut and polish diamonds) to dump Zimbabwean goods and in the process strangle supply from Marange.
India is the biggest supplier of cut and polished diamonds and diamond jewellery to the US.
Jewellers of America communications manager Mr Lauren Thompson told The Sunday Mail Business last week that it had advised its members not to trade in Marange diamonds because of the “legal sanctions” enforced by OFAC.
“At this time, Jewellers of America has advised members not to trade in diamonds from the Marange region of Zimbabwe. While the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) has agreed to allow the export of diamonds from the Marange region, the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) enforces legal sanctions that prohibit all dealings, both directly and through third parties, with the Zimbabwean entities that own or control the Marange region diamond mines and the diamonds exported by these entities.
“As a result, we have advised Jewellers of America members to exercise the appropriate due diligence with business partners, including taking additional precautionary measures for inventory protection in order to ensure compliance with US law and maintain consumer confidence in diamonds.
“Specifically, Jewellers of America members should continue to require their suppliers to provide additional written reassurances, beyond the World Diamond Council’s (WDC) System of Warranties statement, that the diamonds they supply have not been obtained in violation of applicable national laws and/or sanctions and have not originated from Marange, Zimbabwe,” explained Mr Thompson.
Usually, the World Diamond System of Warranties is used as a declaration on the invoice for each transaction of polished diamonds to ensure industry purchasers and consumers that their diamonds are from conflict-free sources, but the definition is now being tweaked to include gems from countries such as Zimbabwe.
India is the largest diamond manufacturing hub in the world and there have been previous attempts to frustrate traders from trading in Zimbabwe gems.
In August last year, 14 parcels of rough diamonds worth more than $160 million that were bought at a local auction by Indian customers were seized by the United Arab Emirates authorities at the request of the Kimberly Process Working Group despite the fact that the diamonds had legitimately issued KP certificates.
It had to take the intervention of India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), which interceded with the Indian government, for the goods to be released.
The Times of India reported a fortnight ago that heightened sanctions from America “may force diamantaires to look for other markets, which many of them have already started”.
“Many are seeing Dubai and Hong Kong as potential markets for their products,” the paper said.
Policymakers fear that underperformance of the diamond sector might put a huge dent on successes that have been registered in resuscitating the local economy, which is gradually emerging from more than a decade of decline.
Said Minister Biti recently: “Stakeholders would recall that of the 2012 $4 billion budget, $600 million of some of the projects under this budget are ring-fenced for funding directly from the realisation of what is due to the State from the proceeds of our diamond sales at the four mining houses in Marange.
“In this regard, our failure to reverse the underperformance of diamond dividends as I alluded to will ultimately affect implementation of planned projects and programmes.”
Labels: DIAMONDS, SANCTIONS, TENDAI BITI, US TREASURY, ZDERA
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COMMENT - Aren't legal documents fascinating? The original 'Targeted Sanctions' list of people in ZANU-PF goes back to an Executive Order, issued by GW Bush. These orders themselves are highly dubious from a legal point of view, and emenate from the Republicans attempt at overreach, and their notion of the 'Unitary Executive' (dictatorship). Here you have a president, barely elected if that, who by Executive Order, determines that the internal affairs of a foreign country, constitute "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States" - not national security, not even US citizens, but pose a danger to the
foreign policy of a foreign country.
Monday, March 10, 2003
Presidential Documents
Vol. 68, No. 46
Monday, March 10, 2003
Title 3—
The President Executive Order 13288 of March 6, 2003Blocking Property of Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Zimbabwe
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, have determined that the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions, contributing to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to politically motivated violence and intimidation in that country, and to political and economic instability in the southern African region,
constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States, and I
hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.
I hereby order:
Section 1. Except to the extent provided in section 203(b) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)), and in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order, all property and interests in property of the following persons that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons, including their overseas branches, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
(a) the persons listed in the Annex to this order; and
(b) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, any of the persons listed in the Annex to this order.
Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction or dealing by a United States person or within the United States in property or interests in property blocked pursuant to this order is prohibited, including but not limited to the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to or for the benefit of any person listed in the Annex to this order or who is the subject of a determination under subsection 1(b) of this order.
(b) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(c) Any conspiracy formed to violate the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order:
(a) The term ‘‘person’’ means an individual or entity;
(b) The term ‘‘entity’’ means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; and
(c) The term ‘‘United States person’’ means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United
States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.
Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to me by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
Sec. 5. This order is not intended to create, nor does it create, any right, benefit, or privilege, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the United States, its agencies, officers, employees, or any other person.
Sec. 6. (a) This order is effective at 12:01 eastern standard time on March 7, 2003; and
(b) This order shall be transmitted to the Congress and published in the Federal Register.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 6, 2003.
11459 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 46 / Monday, March 10, 2003 / Presidential Documents
ANNEX
1. Robert Gabriel MUGABE [President of Zimbabwe, born 21 Feb. 1924]
2. Flora BUKA [Minister of State for Land Reform, born 25 Feb. 1968]
3. George CHARAMBA [Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, born 4 Apr. 1963]
4. Fortune CHARUMBIRA [Deputy Minister for Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing, born 10 June 1962]
5. Aeneas CHIGWEDERE [Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, born
25 Nov. 1939]
6. Augustine CHIHURI [Police Commissioner, born 10 Mar. 1953]
7. Enos CHIKOWORE [Politburo Secretary for Land and Resettlement, born
17 July 1942]
8. Patrick CHINAMASA [Minister of Justice, born 25 Jan. 1947]
9. Edward CHINDORI-CHININGA [Minister of Mines, born 14 Mar. 1955]
10. Constantine CHIWENGA [Lt. Gen., Commander of the Army, born 25 Aug. 1956]
11. Willard CHIWEWE [Senior Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, born 19 Mar. 1949]
12. Ignatius CHOMBO [Minister of Local Government, born 1 Aug. 1952]
13. Dumiso DABENGWA [Politburo Senior Committee Member, born 6 Dec. 1939]
14. Nicholas GOCHE [Minister of State for National Security, born 1 Aug. 1946]
15. Rugare GUMBO [Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, born 8 Mar. 1940]
16. Richard HOVE [Politburo Secretary for Economic Affairs, born 23 Sept. 1939]
17. David KARIMANZIRA [Politburo Secretary for Finance, born 25 May 1947]
18. Saviour KASUKUWERE [Deputy-Secretary for Youth Affairs, born 23 Oct. 1970]
19. Christopher KURUNERI [Deputy Minister, Finance and Economic Development, born 4 Apr. 1949]
20. Thenjiwe LESABE [Politburo Secretary for Women’s Affairs, born 5 Jan. 1933]
21. Jaison MACHAYA [Deputy Minister for Mines and Mining Development, born 13 June 1952]
22. Joseph MADE [Minister of Agriculture, born 21 Nov. 1954]
23. Edna MADZONGWE [Deputy-Secretary for Production and Labor, born 11 July 1943]
24. Shuvai MAHOFA [Deputy Minister for Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation, born 4 Apr. 1941]
25. Joshua MALINGA [Deputy-Secretary for Disabled and Disadvantaged, born 28 Apr. 1944]
26. Paul MANGWANA [Minister of State for State Enterprises and Parastatals, born 10 Aug. 1961]
27. Witness MANGWENDE [Minister of Transport and Communications, born 15 Aug. 1946]
28. Elliot MANYIKA [Minister of Youth Development, born 30 July 1955]
29. Kenneth MANYONDA [Deputy Minister for Industry and International Trade, born 10 Aug. 1934]
30. Reuben MARUMAHOKO [Deputy Minister for Energy and Power Development, born 4 Apr. 1948]
31. Angeline MASUKU [Politburo Secretary for Disabled and Disadvantaged Person’s Welfare, born 14 Oct. 1936]
32. Sithokozile MATHUTHU [Deputy-Secretary for Transport and Social Welfare]
33. Amos Bernard Muvenga MIDZI [Minister for Energy and Development, born 4 July 1952]
34. Emmerson MNANGAGWA [Parliamentary Speaker, born 15 Sept. 1946]
35. Kembo MOHADI [Minister of Home Affairs, born 15 Nov. 1949]
36. Swithun MOMBESHORA [Minister of Higher Education, born 20 Aug. 1945]
37. Jonathan MOYO [Minister of Information, born 12 Jan. 1957]
38. July MOYO [Minister of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare, born 7 May 1950]
39. Simon Khaya MOYO [Deputy-Secretary for Legal Affairs, born 1945]
40. Obert MPOFU [Deputy-Secretary for National Security, born 12 Oct. 1951]
41. Joseph MSIKA [Vice President, born 6 Dec. 1923]
42. Olivia MUCHENA [Minister of State for Science and Technology Development, born 18 Aug. 1946]
43. Opah MUCHINGURI [Politburo Secretary for Gender and Culture, born 14 Dec. 1958]
44. Stan MUDENGE [Minister of Foreign Affairs, born 17 Dec. 1948]
45. Grace MUGABE [born 23 July 1965]
46. Sabina MUGABE [Politburo Senior Committee Member, born 14 Oct. 1934]
47. Joyce MUJURU [Minister of Rural Resources and Water, born 15 Apr. 1955]
48. Solomon MUJURU [Politburo Senior Committee Member, born 1 May 1949]
49. Samuel MUMBENGEGWI [Minister of Industry and International Trade, born 20 July 1945]
50. Herbert MURERWA [Minister of Finance, born 31 July 1941]
51. Christopher MUSHOHWE [Deputy Minister, Transport and Communications, born 6 Feb. 1954]
52. Didymus MUTASA [Politburo Secretary for External Relations, born 27 July 1935]
53. Kenneth MUTIWEKUZIVA [Deputy Minister for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, born 27 May 1948]
54. Simon Vengesai MUZENDA [Vice President, born 28 Oct. 1922]
55. Tsitsi MUZENDA [Politburo Senior Committee Member, born 28 Aug. 1922]
56. Elisha MUZONZINI [Director of the Central Intelligence Organization, born 24 June 1957]
57. Abedinico NCUBE [Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs, born 13 March 1954]
58. Naison NDLOVU [Politburo Secretary for Production and Labor, born 22 Oct. 1930]
59. Sikhanyiso NDLOVU [Deputy-Secretary for Commissariat, born 20 Sept. 1949]
60. Francis NHEMA [Minister of Environment and Tourism, born 17 Apr. 1959]
61. John NKOMO [Minister of State for Special Affairs, born 22 Aug. 1934]
62. Stephen NKOMO [Politburo Senior Committee Member, born 3 Oct. 1926]
63. Sithembiso NYONI [Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development, born 20 Sept. 1949]
64. David PARIRENYATWA [Minister of Health and Child Welfare, born 2 Aug. 1950]
65. Selina POTE [Deputy-Secretary for Gender and Culture]
66. Tinos RUSERE [Deputy Minister for Rural Resources and Water Development, born 10 May 1945]
67. Stanley SAKUPWANYA [Deputy-Secretary for Health and Child Welfare]
68. Sidney SEKERAMAYI [Minister of Defense, born 30 Mar. 1944]
69. Nathan SHAMUYARIRA [Politburo Secretary for Information and Publicity, born 29 Sept. 1928]
70. Perence SHIRI [Air Marshal (Air Force), born 11 Jan. 1955]
71. Isaiah SHUMBA [Deputy Minister, Education, Sports and Culture, born 3 Jan. 1949]
72. Absolom SIKOSANA [Politburo Secretary for Youth Affairs]
73. Solomon TAWENGWA [Deputy-Secretary for Finance, born 15 June 1940]
74. Josiah TUNGAMIRAI [Politburo Secretary for Empowerment and Indigenization, born 8 Oct. 1948]
75. Charles UTETE [Cabinet Secretary, born 30 Oct. 1938]
76. Paradzai ZIMONDI [Prisons chief, born 4 Mar. 1947]
77. Vitalis ZVINAVASHE [General, Commander of Zimbabwe Defense Forces, born 27 Sept. 1943]
Note: The bracketed identifying information with respect to each person
listed in this Annex reflects information currently available and is provided
solely to facilitate compliance with this order. Each individual listed in
this Annex remains subject to the prohibitions of this order notwithstanding
any change in title, position, or affiliation.
Labels: SANCTIONS, US TREASURY, ZIMBABWE
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US claims on Zim sanctions dismissed
Herald Reporter
CLAIMS by the United States that Washington did not impose sanctions on Zimbabwe have been further discredited following revelations that the US Treasury directed a leading online payment facility not to do business with Zimbabwean individuals and corporate bodies operating from Zimbabwe.
According to information at hand, the US Treasury instructed PayPal, a California-based company, not to allow Zimbabweans in their home country to open online trading accounts with them.
Founded in 1998, PayPal is the world’s largest "middleman" service for Internet trade with over 100 million users across the globe, meaning that Zimbabwe’s exclusion deprives the country of significant foreign currency earnings.
Investigations carried out by The Herald indicate that Zimbabwean businesspersons interested in setting up PayPal accounts had been informed by the company that a US Treasury Department instruction prohibited them from doing business with the country.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a marketing executive with a leading supermarket chain located in Harare, said: "If you look at our website you will notice that there is a section where we encourage potential clients to purchase online. But if you try to do so, whether you are in Zimbabwe or outside you will not be able to do so because PayPal refused to set up the account.
"What we were made to understand is that if you are in Zimbabwe you cannot set up an account to receive or send money online using PayPal.
"If we were to set up our website from South Africa or any other country they would let us open an account but that would mean opening a branch there and that is not in our plans."
She added: "Zimbabwe has a huge community living outside its borders and this facility would give them the opportunity to buy goods directly from us for their friends and families here.
"It is a big, big market that can bring foreign currency into the country using formal structures and thereby helping the economy but we have been denied this opportunity."
A Harare-based Internet solutions expert, Mr Dereck Goto, said a number of his clients had complained to him that they could not set up PayPal accounts and he had consequently advised them to use alternative online payment and receiving facilities, though they were not as reputable.
"Though there are other facilities for purchasing and paying for goods and services online, PayPal is really big and has more users than any of the others. In terms of market share, PayPal has far more users and hence there are millions more potential clients that can be accessed through this particular facility.
"The information that I have is that there is a US Treasury directive barring PayPal from dealing directly with Zimbabweans. It is simply impossible to set up an account from Zimbabwe. Around 2002 it was possible to do this. Unfortunately, I don’t know right now if those accounts opened a few years ago are still functioning or they were shut down."
Questions sent to PayPal weeks ago had not been responded to at the time of going to press.
The assistant public affairs officer with the US Embassy in Harare, Mr Mark Weinberg, said it was not American government policy to bar businesses from dealing with Zimbabweans in any way.
Interestingly though, this is not the first time that a leading company has told Zimbabweans that the US Treasury barred them from transacting with Zimbabwe.
In 2005, an official with Africa University’s information technology department told former US ambassador Christopher Dell to his face that Microsoft, the world leader in the field, was instructed by the Treasury Department not to co-operate with the institution.
Ironically, AU was established by and is still strongly supported by American-based Methodists. Responding to this, Mr Weinberg more or less admitted that the Treasury Department had, in fact, instructed Microsoft to steer clear of Zimbabwe.
He said: "With regard to the Microsoft case, it is my understanding that Microsoft reversed its position after discussions with them clarified US policy. I do not have any more information on the AU-Microsoft case and if you want more information you could contact Africa University or Microsoft."
Neither was reachable for a reaction to this statement.
Labels: GEORGE BUSH, NEOCOLONIALISM, NEOLIBERALISM, PAYPAL, SANCTIONS, US TREASURY, ZIMBABWE
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