Tsvangirai would have fought against sanctions if he were still alive – Cross

That was never going to happen, but instead of helping the MDC with the struggle and in its campaigns during regular elections on an uneven playing field, they maintained their ‘principled stand’ that they were not giving support to any opposition Party.

Just as the Rhodesians had made a mockery of UN sanctions, the sanctions imposed on the ZANU-PF regime were more of a nuisance than a real deterrent to delinquent behaviour. Instead the Mugabe regime intensified its efforts to crush opposition and the casualties of the internal political struggle mounted.

To be frank, anyone understanding the power play here and the mismatch of forces in the field would have known that change could only come when the regime itself decided that this was essential to its own survival. That came in November 2017 and the people poured out onto the streets in mass celebration.

But the change was in no way due to the sanctions program now 15 years old – three years longer than the UN program. The new Government, newly elected and recognised, lost no time in outlining that they knew exactly what was needed to regain entry to global markets and access to the clubs that control world trade, only to discover that the internal forces that had helped with the change in 2017, were now opposed to any real changes in the way the country was being run.

In one respect, I have to say that the current Governments view that sanctions are damaging is not ill founded. They may be targeted as we hear repeatedly, but those of us who are in business know all too well the cost.

While the countries of the Far East have been able to trade freely with the rest of the world and borrow massive sums of money from international markets at very low interest rates, Zimbabweans have had to constantly battle with what is seen as ‘country risk’ which as any analysis will tell you is partly influenced by the financial restrictions the major States in the West use against those with whom they have disagreement.

Our Banks are, in the majority, denied normal relationships with international banks and any money transfer of over US$5000 is monitored by the US Authorities. The recent unilateral imposition of a ‘fine’ on our largest Bank of US$300 million is just one more example of this bullying activity.

We cannot hope to compete or to grow our economy until such constraints are removed and the main casualty of this process is not those targeted but the poor and the marginalised. The very people who have fought a brave and tough campaign to end the one Party State and bring us back to democracy under a half decent Constitution.

If he had lived to this day, Morgan Tsvangirai would have joined forces with those who have argued for a change in strategy by the West. Have sanctions changed Cuba one iota? No! Obama was right by opening up Cuba to trade and tourism, change would inevitably come to Cubans – who in the meantime be able to make a better living.

Sanctions are a blunt instrument that seldom produces change in the countries so targeted. One thing history tells us is that opening up societies and raising living standards and building up the middle class is a better way.

Eddie Cross
Harare, 27th October 2019

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