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President Mnangagwa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the United States should make decisions on Zimbabwe from an informed position and stop reading only the text of opposition political parties that are afraid of elections. Cde Mnangagwa said the US which last week proposed multiple prescriptive reforms as pre-conditions for re-engagement with Zimbabwe should have an appreciation of the situation on the ground in order to make rational decisions.

Two Us senators — Messrs Jeff Flake (Republican and Chris Coons (Democrat) — who are members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last week unveiled a proposed revised version of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) of 2001.

The new conditions particularly on elections are similar to demands made by the MDC Alliance through its Plan and Environment for A Credible Election (PEACE) document that was launched by its presidential candidate Advocate Nelson Chamisa on Wednesday last week. This is the reason why Cde Mnangagwa is urging the US to make decisions on Zimbabwe from an informed position instead of relying on what is being said by the opposition.

We do not understand why the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee rushed to come up with a revised version of Zidera when Messrs Flake and Coons are heading for Zimbabwe. What is logical is for these two to visit Zimbabwe first, report back to the committee and then the committee can make an informed decision based on correct information.

A lot has changed since 2001 and more changes have been witnessed since the coming in of the new political dispensation hence the need for the US to have the information on the situation on the ground before making a decision. It is unfair for the US to continue punishing Zimbabweans through illegal sanctions based on falsehoods from the opposition political parties.

The European Union (EU) has already said it is ready to engage Zimbabwe because it is happy with the measures so far taken by the new political dispensation. The block has hailed President Mnangagwa’s efforts to revive the economy. The EU has obviously made efforts to get the latest information on the ground and as such has changed its stance on Zimbabwe and we expect the US to do the same.

The EU has said it is open for dialogue with the new Government and other political players in the country. “The EU reaffirms its availability to engage constructively with the new authorities including through a structured political dialogue with political actors across the spectrum and with civil society, on the basis of mutual commitment to shared values focused on human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law.”

The block said the ongoing political transition in Zimbabwe has created high hopes among its citizens. We therefore do not understand why the US is completely removed from the reality on the ground and raising issues that the Government has already addressed.