US sanctions on Zimbabwe not about rule of law but a message to South Africa

If it is about property rights and land reform, will the new dispensation ever be recognised without the country being drawn further into debt?

If it is about the rule of law and politically related violence, then would not the likes of Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and many more warrant similar measures?

Under the current conditions, it is Zimbabwean citizens that are suffering most. ZIDERA is not so much about stopping land reform or punishing elites, but contributing to economic collapse, which hits ordinary people hardest.

Lines for petrol, shortages of basic medicines and business closures only bring more hunger, disease and social instability.

The new Zimbabwean government should certainly do more to strengthen transparency, tackle corruption and safeguard human rights. But ZIDERA is not about such concerns, and even if it were, it would not be helping.

While President Trump demands American sovereignty, Zimbabwe’s ability to manage its own economy is severely hampered by the US.

No country in our globalised world can both balance its budget and stabilise its currency without support. Zimbabweans have already paid a heavy enough price.

By Tendai Murisa and Shantha Bloemen for African Arguments

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