Zanu PF has dismissed as nonsensical the move by the United States Wednesday to maintain its targeted sanctions imposed on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle.
Reacting to the renewal of the sanctions, the party’s deputy director of information and publicity, Pyschology Maziwisa, said the sanctions are a threat to most Zimbabweans.
“If anybody poses any threat to anybody is the government of America. They have imposed sanctions that have caused enormous complete damage to our economy and that is a serious threat to the livelihoods of the ordinary Zimbabweans,” said Maziwisa.
However, in defense of the continuation of the sanctions, Shakespear Hamauswa, lecturer of international relations at Mulungushi University in Zambia, said by maintaining the sanctions, the U.S is showing consistency.
Any expectations that the United States would follow in the footsteps of the European Union (EU) and review or adjust its sanctions on Zimbabwe, were dashed Wednesday.
In keeping with Executive Order 13288 of 2003, where then U.S. president George Bush declared a national emergency on Zimbabwe, for undermining democratic practices or institutions, President Barack Obama, again issued a notice for continuation of the measures.
In the notice, President Obama cited the “unusual and extraordinary threat to foreign policy of the united states,” by named members of the government of Zimbabwe, who include President Robert Mugabe.
Mr. Obama said, “The threat constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic process or institutions has not been resolved.
“These actions and policies continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the US. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue this national emergency and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat.”
However, America’s continuation of sanctions have come under scrutiny, given the easing of targeted sanctions by the EU, and normalization of relations with the Zimbabwe government by such countries as Britain.
