Published by the government of Zimbabwe
15 April 2009
Harare — ZANU-PF and MDC legislators and their colleagues from the Caribbean and Pacific bloc have started lobbying the European Union for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, since the inclusive Government was now running smoothly.
The lobbying took centre stage at the African Caribbean and Pacific and European Union parliamentary session held recently in the Czech Republic.
Zanu-PF, MDC and the ACP bloc resolved in a caucus meeting that sanctions against Zimbabwe should now be lifted immediately because it was no longer necessary to continue the embargo before tabling the resolutions to their EU counterparts.
The EU legislators, however said they wanted to observe the progress of the inclusive Government before committing themselves.
The Zimbabwean delegation argued that there was no longer any justification for the maintenance of sanctions.
The ACP-EU met in the last two weeks of March in the Czech Republic, where legislators from the bloc discussed various issues affecting member countries.
Head of the Zimbabwe delegation, Rushinga Senator Damien Mumvuri (Zanu-PF) said Zimbabwe had received overwhelming support from African, Pacific and Caribbean countries who concurred that the embargo was no longer necessary.
Other members from the Zimbabwean delegation, which returned home on Good Friday, are Matobo Senator Sithembile Mlotshwa (MDC-T) and Gwanda North House of Assembly Thandeko Mnkandla (MDC).
Lawmakers from the EU said they would monitor political developments in the country before considering lifting the sanctions.
"We raised the issue of sanctions and we were encouraged by the support we got from our African brothers, and those from the Caribbean and Pacific countries. They agreed with us that the time has now come to have these sanctions removed," said Sen Mumvuri.
"The EU maintained their reservations saying they were not yet satisfied with the political environment in our country. They said they were still observing if there were tangible results to talk about. They said they will, however, continue to give humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe."
Sen Mumvuri took over as head of the Zimbabwe delegation to the ACP-EU parliamentary sessions from Cde Forbes Magadu, the former Chitungwiza senator.
Mrs Mlotshwa replaced Communication Information Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa, who ceased to be a member when he was appointed to Cabinet.
Zimbabwe has resolved to engage the EU and other Western countries to remove the sanctions following the formation of the inclusive Government.
Sadc has pledged to assist Zimbabwe in this regard and has since dispatched teams of ministers to the United States and the EU to lobby for the lifting of the illegal sanctions and canvass economic support for the inclusive Government.
Meanwhile, Kadoma Member of the House of Assembly Editor Matamisa (MDC-T) is expected to replace Ms Paurina M'pariwa as a member of the Pan African Parliament.
Ms M'pariwa is now the Minister of Labour.
Other members of the PAP include Mberengwa West House of Assembly Cde Joram Gumbo (Zanu-PF), president of the Chiefs Council Chief Fortune Charumbira, Gwanda Central Member of the House of Assembly Mr Patrick Dube (MDC) and Bikita Senator Kokerai Rugara (MDC-T.)
Ms Matamisa is expected to be sworn-in as a member of PAP when the continental body sits in Midrand, South Africa, next month.
The ACP-EU session coincided with Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaker of the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyo led the Zimbabwean delegation to the meeting.
Other members to the IPU are Kambuzuma Member of the House of Assembly Mr Willias Madzimure (MDC-T), Zvimba Senator Virginia Muchenje (Zanu-PF) and Nkayi North Member of the House of Assembly Mr Abednico Bhebhe (MDC).
The IPU, which brings together parliamentarians from across the world, meets twice a year to discuss global issues.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 The Herald. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Slam dunk, again.
The Herald's report did not say that the GNU "begged" the EU to lift sanctions, generalized sanctions, sanctions against the economic structure of Zimbabwe.
Rather, the GNU, with the support of not only African countries, but Carribean and Pacific countries, "tackled" the EU.
Interpreted contextually, "tackled" means that the GNU presented REASONED AGRGUMENTS to parliamentary representatives of the EU to lift sanctions that have lost their raison d'etre. The existence of the GNU is a knock out refutation of the rationality of the generalized sanctions.
Accordingly, reasoned discourse it was; a begging party it certainly was not.
Beggars don't argue; they supplicate.
The GNU did not supplicate.
Moreover, it is irrational to talk about a GNU AND then refer to a ZANU/PF "regime." Under the lexicon of the equivocal West, "regime" means an undemocratic government."
Now, who is now going to call the GNU an "undemocratic government"?
Who?
"Head of the Zimbabwe delegation, Rushinga Senator Damien Mumvuri (Zanu-PF) said Zimbabwe had received overwhelming support from African, Pacific and Caribbean countries who concurred that the embargo was no longer necessary."
Jallohlaw - by extension, are the APC countries now also saying that the embargo was previously necessary?
Yes and no.
Yes, if the GNU agreed that the sanctions were necessary, in which case the other countries would be agreeing with a position posited by the GNU, namely that the sanctions were necessary. There is nothing in the story that even suggests or implies that this is the position of the GNU.
No, if the GNU posited no such position; the "other countries" merely agreeing among themselves that the sanctions were necessary. The GNU's ARGUMENT does not depend on whether or not the other countries thought the sanctions were necessary.
In fact, the "necessity question," as far as the GNU is concerned, is undecidable, given the reporting. Under the same reporting, however, the position of the EU is decidable: the representatives of the EU thought and still think that the sanctions were necessary; imposing conditions, therefore, that would facilitate their removal.
Again, the GNU's argument is that, without touching the issue of whether the sanctions were necssary or not, the grounds for their continuance no longer obtain.
Quite simple the solution to this problem. All Mugabe needs to do is let the rule of law abide, full transparent governmental activities, stop the farm invasions, and reign in the thugs. Then and only then will the donor countries be able to help. Sadc said it could help and SA says they can only afford 800 million rand. That's a hell of a lot less than one of the new stadiums for the 2010 soccor tournement would cost. So much for african solidarity. Africa wanted an african solution, and guess what, when the cruch comes, nothing is forth coming. Love, peace and reconcilliation the african way.
Suppose Jabba you could outline which sanctions are in place ,that could or would be hindering an open and honest GNU trying to attract EU and not to mention African neighbours $$$$$$$$?Or yes they all agreed to lobby for or no they wont put any money up either. Stupid Herald. Ooops, sorry Jabs you didn't write that ditty did you?
Dont remove a thing from the sanctions. While Mugabe and his cronies still steal farms and rage havoc of lawlessness and corruption. Dont remove a thing. The removal of sanctions will only strengthen Zanu PF illegal trades of diamonds etc, and will not help the man on the street. When Mugabe is dead and buried along with his cronies, then you can lift sanctions
You don't have to worry. The removal of sanctions is quite an easy thing. Criminal Mugabe has just to take the back seat!
Will this power hungry tyrant do it? No. Tsvangirai knows it. But Tsvangirai has a strategy to wear down this old tyrant. He will get the upper hand in due course, following the projected elections.
See all comments (64).
Active Discussions: Zimbabwe Aid