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SA: Lift sanctions on Zimbabwe

Nov 12 2008 18:14

Brussels - The European Union and the US should help Zimbabwe develop its agriculture and attract investment rather than impose sanctions that have hurt the people, South Africa's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Washington and Brussels have imposed visa bans and asset freezes on President Robert Mugabe and other senior Zimbabwean officials. US sanctions also bar Americans from engaging in any transactions or dealings with them.

"They (the sanctions) hurt the ordinary people ... if you have sanctions against the government then obviously investors will not want to deal with that government, tourists get frightened," Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in an interview.

"They hurt the people that deserve the help, they hurt the whole people," the South African minister told Reuters.

Opponents of Mugabe say his policy of forcing white farmers off their land has exacerbated the problem in a country where hyper-inflation has crippled the economy. Mugabe blames international sanctions.

Zimbabwe's economic decline, once seen by the opposition as the only factor that could weaken Mugabe, has been worsening while he digs in for a prolonged power struggle over the creation of a power-sharing government.

Inflation is officially 231 million percent. Zimbabwe is dependent on handouts and malnutrition is on the rise.

"The EU, the United States and other countries should begin to support the farmers to plant, to get fertilisers, to get business people to invest in Zimbabwe," Dlamini-Zuma said.

"It will help the people, they will get jobs, they will get money, they will be able to plant, they will be able to have food and not only to rely on aid," she added.

The European Commission proposed in July using €1bn in unspent EU farm funds on a programme to buy seed and fertiliser for Africa this year and next, helping the continent to deal with threatened food shortages.

But the proposal has run into trouble as EU lawmakers and governments said the bloc's executive did not choose the right budgetary procedure.

"It is ridiculous to keep this fund in the air," Dlamini-Zuma said.

Zimbabweans had hoped a September 15 political deal would create a power-sharing leadership that could rescue the ruined economy. Instead, Zimbabwe's parties are deadlocked over allocating cabinet ministries.

- Reuters

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Alibaba
Jan 05 2009 00:25 Report this comment

Oh boy....eishhh

Polani
Dec 27 2008 03:32 Report this comment

And I thought a "Doctor" is an intellegent person. Could a Lucky Packet have been involved????

we is nota stuperd
Dec 23 2008 05:53 Report this comment

Forgeta bouta Mugabe , he is the stuperd. The sunctions musty stay with him unteel he dies of the kulera and the mulharea dizzeases which he isa making . An the Gide_n G_N_ itsa Gideon Gono with the deleeeted zeros . My goodness , what will befall this terrabul man

Zimbabwe not Mugabe
Dec 22 2008 19:39 Report this comment

South African gorvenment. Why? Is this your plan on how to remove Zimbabwe from the map of Africa? This can only be a conspiracy by Republic of South Africa against Zimbabweans. One day we will remember all this(We are grateful), because you have deliberately turned a blind eye on our suffering and continue to work against our wishes as Zimbabwean people. We as Zimbabweans hope that you recognise the difference between Mugabe and Zimbabwe. Mugabe is not Zimbabwe. Help Zimbabwe not Mugabe.

Realist
Nov 27 2008 22:06 Report this comment

Luckily , Dr Zuma's suggestion has as much as a snowball's chance in hell of ever happening while that terrorist Mugabe is around. She can gnash her teeth, wail and Toyi-toyi , all she will be doing is making a fool of herself .

ap
Nov 25 2008 22:25 Report this comment

"Doctor" Zuma has been an idiotic disgrace when she was Minister of Health. Now she again displays it in her comments about Zimbabwe. No hope for South Africans with leaders like these. Do we really NEED leaders? They seem to be mostly useless and VERY expensive!

Frikkie
Nov 13 2008 13:02 Report this comment

Maybe The SA government should incorporate ZIM as a province of SA , because they are thick as thieves and 80% of ZIM is already here . There is nothing anybody can say or do to change this one eyed monster of a government of SA to see the racial and ethnic abuse going on in ZIM . The colonials build that country up and made it the bread basket of Africa with it’s people ,now this deranged lunatic is killing his people in the name of colonials .What an Ass !!!

Fubar
Nov 13 2008 09:42 Report this comment

Meh...I still think they should just send a hit-squad after Mugabi since he is resulting in deaths of 100's of thousands of people. He could have stepped down in the election and he did not win it so the African countries should force him from power and yet our "brothers sit on their sorry @sses" and blame the EU and US for sactions. My word but African leaders are inhumane! They are limpwristed arrogant morons that have no balls to grab the issue by the horns! They can but won't.


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