Zimbabwe has found an unlikely ally in Botswana President Ian Khama in the latest of a series of calls to lift sanctions on the embattled country.
Unlike his Southern African counterparts, Khama has previously been a strident critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (86), in keeping with Western nations.
He made the call on Tuesday during a two-day state visit to South Africa, saying that as easily as sanctions could be imposed, they could as easily be removed.
“We appeal to those who have placed sanctions to remove them in order to give motivation. There is goodwill expressed by both sides, even if there are concerns. We also have concerns but let’s remove them [sanctions] to demonstrate good faith and see where we go from there,” Khama told journalists at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Mugabe and his inner circle have been subject to Western sanctions since his Zanu-PF party won an election in 2Â 000 after a violent campaign.
The sanctions were imposed at the start of his government’s policy of seizing commercial, often white-owned, farms to resettle landless black Zimbabweans.
Mugabe was forced into a power-sharing deal last year with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai that has stabilised the economy after a decade of decline but critics argue that human-rights violations continue.
However, setting aside a possible election next year, Khama said the focus was more on the signing of the constitution, which has been moving at a snail’s pace.
“The process of working on the constitution will take a lot of time,” he said, adding that the parties concerned in Zimbabwe might even decide to let a full five years run its course before elections.
South African President Jacob Zuma, who has been active in championing the removal of sanctions, said the political situation in Zimbabwe was a major concern for the region.
During their official meeting on Tuesday, both presidents went into “a lot of details” on what they believe both countries could do to help through the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“This issue features prominently at the African Union,” said Zuma. “As SADC, we are appealing to global leaders who are applying sanctions that they should be lifted. They’re not helping the situation in Zimbabwe. Instead of helping they are complicating.”
European Union
Zuma achieved a victory for South Africa’s ailing neighbour in Europe in September when European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said the bloc was ready to take a fresh look at the measures against Zimbabwe.
Mugabe and his aides are subject to travel bans and asset freezes in the European Union and the US, who accuse his regime of repeated human-rights abuses and denials of basic freedoms.
Van Rompuy noted Zimbabwean moves to create a new constitution as part of a road map to elections, a process launched by the unity government formed by Mugabe and Tsvangirai last February.
“In case of positive developments in Zimbabwe we’d be ready to look at fresh measures,” said Van Rompuy. The statement was a big move, given the EU’s previous stance on sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The EU last year slapped a 12-month extension on its sanctions against Harare, which include an embargo on arms and police weaponry, as well as the travel ban and asset freezes on Mugabe and his inner circle.
On his first trip to European parliamentarians during his visit in September, Zuma told its foreign-affairs committee that removing sanctions would help efforts to turn around the situation in Zimbabwe, which is emerging from a chapter of political violence and hyper-inflation.
“On Zimbabwe, we gave leadership before anybody else did and the current power-sharing deal was facilitated by South Africa,” Zuma said to the members of the European Parliament.
Lifting sanctions “would give a chance to the efforts we are making there and empower the SADC to do more on Zimbabwe,” he added.
US
But the US has been unmoved, saying Zimbabwe must show greater respect for human rights and political freedoms before their sanctions on the impoverished African nation can be removed, the US State Department said last month.
The State Department said its top diplomat for Africa and other US officials met three Zimbabwean ministers on Thursday and had praised the economic advances but raised concerns “that political progress has not been as successful”.
“Zimbabwe must make further progress for the removal of targeted sanctions,” the State Department said in a statement.
“As long as human-rights violations, land seizures, and intimidation of those participating in the political process continue, the sanctioned individuals and entities on the list who continue to perpetrate and benefit from these acts are unlikely to be removed,” the statement said.
“Significant improvements in the political environment, greater respect for human rights and political freedoms will result in change in US posture.”
But the meeting was described as cordial and the US said it was committed to keeping the door open for further dialogue. — Sapa and Reuters