Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi has called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to do more than just singing anti-sanctions songs.
He says while it is noble for the regional body to push for the total removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, more should be done to unite Zimbabweans by addressing the grievances.
“What the Region
@SADC_News fails to do, to this day is to resolve grievances, reconcile Zimbabweans, give them a unity of purpose, a sense of belonging, to protect them from State excesses so they do not run to the world ( 50% are out ) to seek that protection and give agency to outsiders including the USA itself.
“Yes the USA may not have been offended by us according to Mnangagwa but Zimbabweans have offended each other and continue to do so and authoring the narrative obtaining right now with no end in sight until the wisdom of fixing the politics and uniting Zimbabweans visit leadership,” he says.
Mzembi writes:
Sanctions Debate on Sabbath!
The last week has been a festival of opinions and analyses of Zimbabwe ‘s sanctioned relationship with the USA.
From the Government of Zimbabwe itself, there has been a convoluted and confused response as this and that Dept or Spokesperson tried to outshine each other to make the first cut ranging from celebration of the outcome to outright bureaucratic anger. Lots of point scoring we have been witnessing .
So while this was happening everyone was waiting for the President himself to respond which he did choosing to do so through a semi rally loyal audience that reflected in its own loud applause response to his opening line, its own understanding of this subject;
“MaAmericans recently said they are removing some of the Sanctions”…
The President himself had to punctuate and recalibrate immediately the excitement with the addendum;
“I say this is absolute Nonsense!” which was received with a disciplined and confused regimental silence.
How so, must have been the thoughts running in the minds of his audience pretty much characterising how even the Government Spokesperson
@nickmangwana received the announcement which he later deleted but too late to escape the social media hawks’ memory bank .
The President in a measured demeanour contrary to the undiplomatic rancour of some of his officials then goes on to outline Why it is absolute nonsense summarised below;
- That “we” (Zimbabwe) have never offended the Americans and their actions are unilateral in a matter declared illegal by the UN Security Council.
-
Nothing short of total removal of Sanctions would please “us” .
These responses would be sound reasoning in a united nation speaking with unity of purpose on the subject . Many Zimbabweans feel misrepresented by theb”we” and “us” in the President’s response.
The Americans have cleverly separated State from Leadership in this round of Sanctions, invoking the Global Magnitsky Sanctions listing for leadership, opening a new round of debate to prove the allegations on the list of 11.
Zimbabweans want to know in irrefutable detail what has been going on behind the scenes with their national wealth.
At the same time as said in my earlier posting on State & Leadership conflation, are these separable in Zimbabwe? How implementable therefore would be the relief on State Sanctions by a Sanctioned leadership?
The State may want to benefit from raw village intelligence and it is that in the secrecy & safety of their homes Zimbabweans are celebrating the relief on State Sanctions, there is also a significant population celebrating the Magnitsky listing, hard facts.. but waiting to see the end game of this soap.
In the meantime the usual pushback of total removal of sanctions plays already, echoed by some in Regional leadership. What the Region @SADC_News fails to do, to this day is to resolve grievances, reconcile Zimbabweans, give them a unity of purpose, a sense of belonging, to protect them from State excesses so they do not run to the world ( 50% are out ) to seek that protection and give agency to outsiders including the USA itself.
Yes the USA may not have been offended by us according to Mnangagwa but Zimbabweans have offended each other and continue to do so and authoring the narrative obtaining right now with no end in sight until the wisdom of fixing the politics and uniting Zimbabweans visit leadership.
Zwnews
