Dumisani Muleya
4 June 2009
THE United States Congress has started hearings on the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe in 2001 over political repression and a series of policy disputes.
This comes as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai prepares to visit Europe and the US to lobby for funding for economic recovery and lifting of the sanctions.
Tsvangirai, who has called for the removal of the "restrictive measures", is expected to meet senior European Union (EU) leaders and US President Barack Obama during his visit this month. He is also expected to meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Finance minister Tendai Biti this week called for the lifting of the sanctions by the West. Biti will next week address the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, focusing on Zimbabwe's reconstruction.
After Biti's recent return from Washington and London, he told cabinet that US officials had indicated that the Obama administration would provide humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe while Congressional hearings on sanctions went on.
Zimbabwe has formed a ministerial team which is currently engaging the EU on sanctions under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement, a pact between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states signed in 2000.
Article 8 dialogue encompasses a regular assessment of developments concerning respect for human rights, the rule of law and governance.
Sources said hearings on the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) have now started in the US and this could lead to the partial lifting of financial sanctions imposed under this law. It is said the US is willing to remove economic sanctions, but not those targeted at President Robert Mugabe and his cronies, or their companies.
Sources said US Congressman Donald Payne was in Zimbabwe last week and held talks with Mugabe, Tsvangirai and deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara on sanctions, among other issues.
The sources said Payne, chairman of the sub-committee on Africa and Global Health of the committee on Foreign Affairs and co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, discussed possible ways sanctions could be lifted or scaled down.
It is said the US is prepared at this stage to remove financial restrictions on Zimbabwe so that it can provide the country with economic aid.
At the moment Washington can only provide humanitarian assistance due to Zidera.
Sources said Obama could soon issue an executive order to deal with the matter to enable the US to help out Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai is expected to push for such action. Sources said Tsvangirai could be able to secure up to US$700 million from the US during his forthcoming visit. He is also expected to extract significant donations from the EU states. A multi-donor trust fund has been formed to help Zimbabwe.
However, donors have set conditions around political and economic reforms before they release any money. So far Zimbabwe has only been able to secure just over US$1 billion. The country is looking for US$10 billion in the next three years for economic recovery. Cabinet has approved the commercialisation and privatisation of state companies in a bid to raise funds for economic recovery.
Zimbabwe has appealed to Sadc countries to firm up on their pledges for funding, while they step up their campaign to get sanctions lifted.
The US and EU sanctions have worsened Zimbabwe's economic crisis triggered by government's unbudgeted expenditures, the DRC war, land invasions as well as mismanagement and corruption.
Zidera was passed by the US Congress at the end of 2001. It was introduced by Senators Bill Frist and Russ Feingold and was then sponsored by Jesse Helms, Hillary Clinton, Joseph Biden and Frist himself. Senate passed the Bill on August 1 and the House passed it on December 4. Former president George Bush signed it into law on December 21.
Under Zidera, unless the US president gives an order, the Secretary of the Treasury has to instruct the US executive directors in each international financial institution to oppose giving Zimbabwe loans, credit or guarantees.
Zidera forbids the cancellation or reduction of the country's indebtedness to Washington or any international financial institution which includes multilateral development banks and the International Monetary Fund.
Multilateral development banks referred to include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Investment Corporation, the African Development Bank, African Development Fund, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is important in underwriting loans between governments.
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Tak, how can you have a God given right when you are the devil?
taykuna well your name calling continues and just to enlighten you these are hearing only nothing has happened yet. You call people racists and idiots and it does not prove you are right or intelligent but acting like a three year old child throwing a fit because things did not go his way. That is what you, Mugabe and the Zanu are sounding like.
When did it become the West's job to keep you alive it is not your right it just shows that you are lazy and doing as your corrupt government does. Asking for free handouts so you do not have to work. Guess what the people who this money is for never sees a penny only the corrupt government gets richer and the poor get poorer. I do blame the West for giving money out and not holding people accountable to where the money is going that is their fault.
Again Taykuna you are proving nothing other than you like to call people names...
Cde Ndebvu - I notice that you like making statements and comments but are very reluctant to respond to any questions put to you in respect of those posts. That is the coward's way out.
Now lets see if you can actually respond to a couple of soft questions before we start to probe a little deeper.
Question 1: you accuse me of denying the existence of sanctions. Can you show me where I have said this? (For the record, I have consistently said that there are indeed sanctions but that only one is general and meaningful - namely the removal of budgetary support and balance of payments support.)
Question 2: Before the implementation of ZDERA, the IMF and the World Bank had already stopped giving money to Zimbabwe because it was at that time already the only country in long term default and the Funds voted by at least 85% (the required mandate) to withhold further support. To obtain an 85% vote China,Russia and many other countries would have had to have voted in favour. My question for you - why do you think that Zimbabwe should have been made an exception to the rules that apply to every other country?
C'mon Cde Ndebvu - show some balls and respond to the questions!
Sanctions gainst criminal Mugabe and his thugs,? YES. there are and they must continue until Mugabe's illegitimate rule ends and until all his thugs are brought before court to justify their huge illegally acquired wealth!
Sanctions against individual criminals and looters are not against the country. Sanctions forced Mugabe to concede to a GNU. Continued sanctions will strengthen Tsvangirai's strategy to steer the MDC to power in due course if ever free and fair elections are held.
Only a minority of privileged Zimbos are complaining about sanctions. The majority of Zimbos are complaining about a general lack basic amenities that criminal Mugabe has been unable to deliver during his 29 years of misrule.
Imperialism, neo-colonialism is the enemy!! Take the land back! Black Power. Tsvangirai is coming over here to lick boots, and get c.i.a. killers and real terrorist!
ceeztheprince is showing his true racial colors and only proving that but otherwise making useless claims. ceeztheprince did you work for the land or did your family work for it? I am pretty sure not so just because you are black and Zimbabwean does not make the land yours. Anyways the Zanu-pf takes it for themselves not just any Zimbabwean gets the land and they do it by force. Oh yeah this is real proper...
ceeztheprince - "Take the land back! Black power" - spoken like a real idiot and an ignorant one at that. You are obviously ignorant of the fact that Zimbabwe through Mugabe stands a great chance of being censored by the SADC tribunal because it determined that the land seizures are "racist and illegal." Zimbabwe is in contempt of the regional courts because in November 2008, it was ruled that 77 commercial farmers who were violently removed from their farms be compensated. If Mugabe continues arsing around, these actions could mean sanctions passed against Zimbabwe or expulsion from SADC. Your racism will land you in deep shit.
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