Harare — Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has come under fire for failing to take advantage of the World Economic Forum underway in Davos, Switzerland, to speak out against the West's illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.
PM Tsvangirai's address to journalists in the resort of Davos on Thursday did not make any reference to sanctions, in stark contrast to Deputy PM Arthur Mutambara who made it clear that the embargo hampered the economic turnaround drive and must be lifted.
Pressure has been mounting on the PM to decry the sanctions following revelations by British foreign and Commonwealth secretary David Miliband last week that any changes to the widely discredited policy would be largely predicated on advice from MDC.
Zanu-PF subsequently said it would not make any more concessions in current Global Political Agreement talks until the embargo is lifted.
Observers said the WEF presented Mr Tsvangirai with the perfect stage to renounce sanctions that have caused untold suffering on ordinary Zimbabweans.
Mr Tsvangirai, however, skirted the issue and chose to dwell on asking investors and donors to support the inclusive Government, a position analysts said was akin to saying nothing since the sanctions bar Western investors from coming to Zimbabwe.
The US sanctions law, the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, for instance, imposes heavy financial penalties on investors who do business with Zimbabwe.
Mr Tsvangirai was quoted as saying: "I believe that the inclusive Government process is a process which is irreversible . . . Certainly, the country is moving and this is a time to look at the country in a more positive light.
"Come and make an assessment on the ground. Come and talk to Zimbabweans. How do they feel about the current political and economic situation in the country? And you will be convinced that 85 percent support the inclusive Government and its efforts."
PM Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe's leadership had put their differences aside and were working together.
DPM Mutambara, while ruing that Miliband's revelations in the British House of Commons had "exposed" the MDC, nonetheless said sanctions must go.
"It's a new day in our country. Zimbabweans are trying to work out an arrangement to create a peaceful, prosperous and democratic country.
"We want the international community to support our efforts and we do not support any sanc-
tions at all against our own people."
Observers yesterday said PM Tsvangirai had lost a good opportunity to "stand with the people of Zimbabwe instead of the world's economic elitists".
"Suggesting that investment and aid can lead to widespread development in an environment of sanctions is political and economic dishonesty.
"The Prime Minister had the perfect opportunity to stand with the people of Zimbabwe at Davos, which is largely a gathering of economic elitists who believe in making ordinary people suffer through sanctions because of differing political ideologies.
"Instead he chose to make Zimbabwe's persecutors feel comfortable and as such we cannot say he was representing the national interest in Davos," said a University of Zimbabwe political scientist.
PM Tsvangirai has failed to speak out against the illegal sanctions, which he prefers to call "restrictive measures".
Sanctions remain the major outstanding issue threatening the viability of the inclusive Government formed in February last year.
The sanctions were imposed at the behest of the combined MDC before it split in 2005.
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l do not see the need to put the honourable PM Tsvangirayi on the spotlight for not denouncing the 'sanctions'. Whilst Mr Miliband's statement might sound unfortunate, PM Tsvangirayi is only trying his best to potray a better picture to otherwise an untenable relationship with Zanu PF, whilst at the same time showing the world the true picture obtaining in Zimbabwe. Part of the reason for the so-called 'sanctions' being imposed was not only gross human rights violation but disrespect for the rule of law on the part of the Mugabe regime. A reasonable PM Tsvangirai would, l presume, only lobby for lifting of the sanctions if the police, army and Zanu PF militia stop abducting, harassing, imprisoning, torturing and even killing his supporters and Legislators (MPs). l urge your paper to follow developments in the constitution making process and read how the Zanu PF War Vets and militia are terrorising people in Zimbabwe inorder to force them to adopt the so-called Kariba draft (can you believe it this draft is proposing another 2 terms in Office for that tyranny Dictator, Mugabe?????). The PM Tsvangirai is not blind, like Mutambara, to all these developments and how can any reasonable and objective person expect him to denounce the se restrictive measures on those perpetuating injustice and inhuman treatment to ordinary Zimbabweans aspiring for democracy and all the freedom it brings.
This article is just laden with misrepresentations and outright lies.
The first one is right at the top where it says that it's published by the government of Zimbabwe. It then goes on to describe how the co-head of government does not represent the people of Zimbabwe. How can that be? How can the government be commenting negatively about on of it's own leaders? Perhaps the Herald does not speak for the Government; merely the ZANU-PF part of the government?
The lies get more grand.
MIlliband's comment in the British Parliament did not imply that the MDC had called for the sanctions, the British did that themselves, but rather they would consider lifting those sanctions when Tsvangiri himself felt that Maggot had lived up to the points agreed in the GPA, something that he still refuses to do nearly eighteen months later. Maggot claims that he will not concede to the agreement that he has already agreed to until the sanctions on him are lifted, but Maggot has proven over and over again that his word is worth nothing; we have 18 months direct proof of that. So which came first, the chicken or the egg?
The Herald continues to lie by suggesting that there are any form of economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, because there are not. Western or Eastern (think Malaysian and Dutch) investors have always been free to throw their money away in Zimbabwe, but few do so. The Herald attempts to say that this is because of nonexistent sanctions, rather then the fact that Maggot and his Boys have proven themselves unable to resist taking a large chunk of any new source of capital that enters the country.
The Herald then attempts to sound informed by stating that, "The US sanctions law, the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, for instance, imposes heavy financial penalties on investors who do business with Zimbabwe." In fact, ZDERA contains no such penalties, financial or otherwise, for investment in ZImbabwe. A BIG FAT Herald LIE.
FInally, the article alleges a fantasy that ZIDERA was imposed at the behest of the MDC. Again, this is pure speculation with no substantiation. It's as if I alleged that Maggot had syphilis and had become a spiteful, paranoid old racist. Oh sorry, that part might actually be true. Perhaps the Herald could confirm that? Is he in fact a spiteful, paranoid old racist?
Excellent refutation DL! Oh, and I think evidence has shown that Mugabe is really a Goblin.
Was some unfortunate person not sent to jail for calling the goblin a goblin? Geez.
Chiriseri and DL you have made great facts that most of these hoodwinked morons do not get.
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