Why the US won't lift sanctions

The US government has come out in the open at last and made it clear that reforms carried out do not count for anything in terms of the sanctions they have in place against Zimbabwe.

If anyone ever believed that sanctions would be removed after free fair and credible elections, they were fooling themselves.

The main instrument sanctioning Zimbabwe is the Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act of 2001 (ZIDERA). The full text of the act is found at the links http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-107s494enr/pdf/BILLS-107s494enr.pdf and http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/107/s494/text.

The provisions of the act are very clear, the Zimbabwe government is to be sanctioned from accessing international finance as follows

the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.

It is clear from the above that the provisions of ZIDERA are targeted at the Government of Zimbabwe, not a few individuals as claimed by some.

Throwing in the names of a few individuals is just a public relations exercise. Kufuridzira kwegonzo rakaruma.

The Act goes on to outline that the sanctions can only be lifted after

...determination made by the President that the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) RESTORATION OF THE RULE OF LAW- The rule of law has been restored in Zimbabwe, including respect for ownership and title to property...

In short, the spirit of ZIDERA is that, until Zimbabwe gives back white farmers their farms, sanctions won't go. Alternatively the Zimbabwe government should find money to pay 'fair' compensation.

I find it difficult to swallow the idea that poor peasants should be taxed to pay off rich farmers who got rich from abusing them in the first place based on race. The peasants also got poor from being dispossessed of their assets.

Besides the land being taken, many had their cattle, the main item of wealth at the time, taken as well. Some were violently forced to labour for the settlers against their will. So the fair compensation option is unlikely to take off unless of course the source of the problem, the British acknowledge their responsibility and provide compensation for everyone who has suffered.

It is a fact that Zimbabwe's colonization problem started with a royal charter granted by British monarch to some of her subjects. That charter gave them the protection of the British empire while they abused and exploited the natives. Indeed when the natives tried to resist colonization, it was the British imperial army which was send to put down the rebellion in Mashonaland.

Of course a lot of other nice language about democracy, human rights, rule of law and so on is thrown into ZIDERA. All these other conditions are subjective conditions which can be adjudged to be met at any moment.

Look at Egypt. A thousand people have died during political violence but there is no EGYPDERA in the works. In fact, more guns for the generals doing the shooting are in the pipeline. Yet we have the Americans calling what is a straightforward coup of then elected president, a 'restoration of democracy'.

The bottom line is the the West are not going to help you make their kith and kin, and themselves, poorer. If one thinks seriously about it, is the West and going to abandon land and mineral claims so that one can hand it over to the Chinese? They will go kicking, screaming and scratching all the way.

And the ill-feeling towards land reform is going to last probably a generation or two. Look at us, our forefathers were dispossessed of the land four to five generations ago, but look at how emotional about it we still are. So Zimbabwe should work on the worst case scenario that sanctions will stay for some years more.

Of course the MDC provided a finger for those imposing sanctions to hide behind. Supposedly it is upon their word, and that of ZESN, that the sanctions are being maintained. Personally I don't believe that even if the MDC had sung ballads in praise of the recent elections, it would have made any difference.

The key issue is return of land. Of course any Zimbabwean in their right mind will not agree to a return to the colonial status quo.