Zulu criticised for supporting removal of Zim sanctions

Posted by on Friday, June 15, 2012 in Sanctions, Zimbabwe politics | 14 comments

Lindiwe Zulu

By Tererai Karimakwenda
15 June 2011

There has been a flood of reaction against comments made this week by President Jacob Zuma’s foreign policy advisor, Lindiwe Zulu, supporting the removal of targeted sanctions that were placed on members of the Mugabe regime by Western nations and the European Union.

Zulu, who is also part of the facilitation team working with Zimbabwe’s coalition partners, on Thursday said the restrictive measures are not working. “It’s not just Zimbabwe that’s saying the sanctions are not working. The entire continent is saying that,” she is quoted as saying.

An immediate flurry of reaction appeared online, with many suggesting that Zulu has forgotten that the Mugabe regime was put under these restrictions after having committed serious human rights violations. Others reminded Zulu that there are no sanctions on Zimbabwe, but a travel ban and an asset freeze on the individuals responsible for the abuses.

“You should rather act against the offending responsible party and its power base to bring about a democracy, another word which Africa, including South Africa, does not comprehend. They pay lip service too but that’s all,” said a reader on the Reuters website.

Another said: “It is a deliberate lie by the Zimbabwean and South African governments that sanctions target the people of Zimbabwe. The western countries of the EU and USA are pouring in millions of rands daily in donations of food and medicine to the people of Zimbabwe whilst the AU countries contribute nothing.”

Zulu and her mediation team flew into Harare this week for more sessions with the negotiators representing the main political parties. Their task has been to agree on a roadmap to elections, under SADC guidelines and according to the GPA. The process has been going on for three years, with ZANU PF refusing to implement key reforms.

Political commentator Lameck Mahachi blasted Zulu, saying she speaks as though she is ignorant of the fact that the measures do not affect ordinary Zimbabweans whose rights are being abused by those on the sanctions list.

“She knows the restrictions are meant to curb these despots from travelling around the world shopping, while Zimbabweans are suffering. This only shows that they don’t care about the ordinary people. They are in cahoots with the regime,” Mahachi said.

Zulu and other supporters of the removal of sanctions claim the move would encourage Mugabe to move forward with key reforms agreed to under the SADC facilitation. But Mahachi ridiculed the suggestion, saying Mugabe and ZANU PF have done nothing to encourage the lifting of the restrictions and would never change their behavior.

“Remove Mugabe and he goes with his problems. Look at the sweeping changes taking place in Malawi.” one online response suggested.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W2CJGQGIKIC5XUVFPKEA6TRTIQ Wilbert

    The West imposed sanctions against Mugabe for human rights violations and the same violations have continued unabated to this day. So faced with this belligerent Mugabe regime it would make sense to upgrade the sanctions and not reward the regime by having even the symbolic sanctions crapped. It is truly tragic that people like Ms Zulu who were themselves victims of oppression only yesteryear can be so cold and indifferent to today’s oppressed!

    • chimbwido warveteran

      I did not think you could stoop this low Wilbert. Could you tell me why the west did not impose sanctions against Ian Smith for human rights violations. The west continued to prop his diabolic regime that murdered thousands of my people. You talk like one famous and deacesed black converted Rhodesians, Chiefs Chirau and Ndiweni. As a disciple of these black Rhodesians, I would rather call you from now on Mr Silau.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W2CJGQGIKIC5XUVFPKEA6TRTIQ Wilbert

        Mugabe is guilty of serious human right violations, specifically his failure to hold free elections. And it was for that reason that the West imposed the sanctions on the tyrant. It was deeply regrettable that the West failed to impose telling sanctions against Ian Smith for the human rights violations. But it is down right stupid to argue that Mugabe too should be allowed to do the same. How does that help the oppressed?

        Your anti-western mentality is blinding you to the tragic suffering in Zimbabwe. Even now, after thirty years of corruption, over 20 000 political murders, etc., you still fail to see Mugabe for the ruthless tyrant he is. Ironically you consider yourself enlightened; you clearly have the lens cap to the reasoning part of your brain superglued on!

  • Raysmith

    I hate to read wrong things in newspapers and see the effects physically. I don’t think it’s fair for the international communittee to run away from the facts that they even see in their countries. ?How many Zimbabweans left the country for economic emancipation ?How many families were broken as partners crossed the borders for informal trade ?Aids was enhanced. ? How many Zimbabweans were killed abroad in cold blood. ?How many industries privately owned collapsed. Expansion programmes were halted as the financiers (IMF, etc) pulled out. It’s a sad story for Zimbabweans. All social entities flopped -education, health etc collapsed. If the Mugabes are that bad, how many people died at the hands of the Mugabes and how many died after the Tony Blair’s sanctions. These human rights that these ppl talk about are NOT killings but Land owners (Whites) that were displaced, u see. Your utterances about sanctions are nonsense. REMOVE these sanctions, Tony blair to Hague. Both MDC & Zanu PF membbers suffered, the only ppl that benefited are Tsvangirayi got international $$, and Mugabe got the sympathy of all Zimbabweans, and this plumeted him as a hero again, no wonder elections come, no $$$ would vote for Tsvangirayi. Tsvangirayi knows this very well, ask him…. Sound ballanced ppl will not talk of sanctions, even MDC knows that they miss fired early 2001 by calling for this, that self destruction as MDC support has dwindled over the years, and continuation will injure mdc far more than their counterpart. This is not a third party script, but an injurred soul. I am not into politics either, but hate lies.

    • mondo

      you need a lot o toilet roll for this crap statement

      • chimbwido warveteran

        And yet this idiot, masquarading as sophisticated MDC loyalist doed not deserve a chop from SW Radio Africa. He uses vulgar language against others he does not agree with and still enjoys the protection of this useless tabloid.

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W2CJGQGIKIC5XUVFPKEA6TRTIQ Wilbert

          You do enjoy speaking with your foot in your mouth!

    • SaManyika

      Why are you so obsessed with this sanctions crap.We are sick and tired of you people like Raysmith,what ever your name is.If Ian Smith was able to make Rhodesia one of the strongest economies in Africa even though he was under real economic sanctions and with the help of apartheid South Africa,why couldn’t Mugabe with the help of Africa and China.Leave the west alone.They don’t want to do business with you full-stop.This issue not about Tony Blair is non event,the issue is about ZPF killing opposition members willy nilly.I bet you didn’t suffer at the hands of ZANU PF thugs like i did as rural school teacher.people like you who try to defend the indefensible makes me sick.

  • Anonymous

    This woman does not know what she is talking about calling for the west to remove specific sanctions targeted at specific politicians. What she forgets and seems to be short of is knowledge she is so stupid to forget that many multinational companies heeded the call of such a great leader as Oliver Tambo sanctions for them to divest in South Africa. Stick to your pots and pans mama

  • Anonymous

    The propaganda machine goes into overdrive now. Who wants to go to ‘kanyika kechando’ anyway. We never stashed any money in the nations of the West, their economies are on the wane who needs them anyway. We dont need the IMF with their usurious funds. We are self sufficient as a nation. we are trading with the BRICS, malaysia, singapore, Dubai and other Arab states. But the sanctions issue has given us an excuse for not fulfilling the GPA. after sanctions we will use the ‘illegal broadcasts, after that we will demand for reparations for colonialism, after that reparations for giving us an inferior education which taught us to be workers, the list is endless.

  • uHeshe

    who still reads the propaganda machine? really.

  • Kchandengenda

    she is right

  • Common Sense

    Scrap South African politicians – they obviously don’t have a clue, or are in ZANU-PF’s pocket, or both…

    On the one hand I keep thinking it may be worth scrapping, just so Mugabe shuts up and does what he was supposed to do in the GPA… and would having nothing to pass the blame at…. and moreover would show immediately that it was not affecting the greater economy (which it isn’t)

    … but then that would only be giving in, and would allow his greedy entourage to abuse state money and politics for personal gain and travel freely again… and of course he would find yet another excuse to not undertake GPA commitments…

  • Hungorg

    The only reason why the cry for the removal of sanctions is growing louder by the day is because their accounts are now over-flowing with monies siphoned from our lovely land. They need somewhere to spend it but the east doesn’t seem good enough…