Tsvangirai to send team to call for removal of western Sanctions on Mugabe
By LAMECK SIBANDA
Published on: 4th March, 2010
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Zimbabwe – Harare – Morgan Tsvangirai to establish a team that goes to Europe and America to lobby for the removal of sanctions on Mugabe and his Zanu-PF crooks.
During a meeting with personnel from media houses operating in Zimbabwe, he said PM Tsvangirai’s denunciation of sanctions on Monday was a positive development that needed to be followed up by dispatching a team to actively engage the West.
Mugabe’s sentiments came as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday again ignored calls for an end to the embargo, saying after meeting South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma
At the Zimbabwe House meeting, Mugabe said: “He has done a good thing, it must be pursued. We want to see him setting up a team that will be effective in dealing with the sanctions.
“That team will have to go to Europe and America. We are under the GPA and we are expected to set up a joint team and we did so, but the EU, under Brussels said no, they would not receive it.
“But the Prime Minister can be listened by those people better than myself.
“If it was me I will do so in no time (setting up a team), but I do not know whether it will bring the desired results or more sanctions. We will discuss with the Prime Minister.”
On Monday PM Tsvangirai for the first time spoke out against sanctions.
This was after increasing pressure on him to fulfill his GPA obligations and join the other members of the inclusive Government in opposing the illegal embargo.
Mugabe said the sanctions would not achieve their intended result of making the country collapse as long as Zimbabweans remained united.
“What reason can they give for continuing with the sanctions, still no democracy, no rule of law and lack of human rights?
“So you see the norm that they use differs completely from what you and I will see as norms that we apply.
“They are finding excuses for applying the sanctions. We are a country with resources, some envy us for that and want to continue with the sanctions, but they will not achieve what they are meant to achieve, to get our country to collapse if we remain united.”
Mugabe said the greater part of the world, especially the densely populated east, were Zimbabwe’s friends.
He said Zimbabwe had not been vindictive and allowed over 400 British companies to continue operating here without harassment.
“We have not withdrawn our (diplomatic) missions, we continue to host their missions as well,” he said.
In London, Brown ignored Zuma’s calls for an end to the sanctions.
President Zuma is in Britain on a State visit and had made it clear he wanted sanctions lifted.
This is in line with the position of Sadc, the African Union, the Pan African Parliament, Comesa and the Non-Aligned Movement.
At a joint Press conference yesterday, Brown said, “We are agreed that we should all put our heads together to find a solution in Zimbabwe to help Zimbabweans to move forward.”
He said wanted to see more “progress” before lifting sanctions.
Last month British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said they were waiting for direction from MDC-T on how to move forward on the embargo.
PM Tsvangirai duly castigated sanctions but this was after the EU had already extended their illegal embargo for another year.
On Tuesday, the US also extended its sanctions.
The PM’s shift came after pressure grew for him to start fulfilling his GPA obligation of lobbying for an end to the sanctions that his party campaigned for.
Zanu-PF’s Youth League had given the PM up to March 24 to start acting on sanctions or risk unspecified action.
The youths have since said they expect more from him than just one statement.
On Tuesday, the House of Assembly adopted a motion moved by Mwenezi East legislator Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti calling on PM Tsvangirai to do more on the embargo.
America’s Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act bars US citizens sitting on boards of multilateral lending institutions from extending financial assistance to Zimbabwe.
The US has said ZDERA will remain in place until Zimbabwe reverts to pre-1998 land tenure patterns when only 6 000 white farmers held onto farms that were later redistributed to nearly 300 000 black families.
In 2006, the EU admitted that its sanctions were initially put in place to influence the outcome of the 2002 presidential elections won by President Mugabe.
