via EU pledges millions to ZANU PF as part of re-engagement | SW Radio Africa by Alex Bell on Thursday, May 29, 2014
The ongoing re-engagement efforts of the European Union (EU) have further intensified, with a multimillion dollar rescue packaged being pledged by Brussels for the ZANU PF government.
Almost $320 million is up for grabs from the EU, which indicated that the money will be made available as soon it lifts the restrictive measures it still has in place against Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace. They are the only two that remain targeted after the EU removed the bulk of the restrictions earlier this year.
Addressing a European Development Fund Programming workshop this week, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said ZANU PF had faith that the measures would be removed. Chinamasa said the Treasury has already formulating an ‘Aid Co-ordination Architecture’ in light of the commitment by the EU.
“We have faith that the lapse of sanctions would, as promised by the European Union, pave way for normalisation of economic relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union,” said Chinamasa.
Head of the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia said the bloc is committed to normalisation of relations, saying the workshop, which brought together MPs and civil society, was “evidence of the re-engagement in action.”
“The EU remains committed to re-engaging with Zimbabwe and we have the evidence of the re-engagement in action. (The) consultations with civil society organisations and Members of Parliament represent a key step in the process of finalising the National Indicative Programme that will help to improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans,” said Dell’Ariccia.
The EU has been steadily re-engaging with ZANU PF despite the flawed and highly disputed elections last July, and despite a failure by the regime to implement any reforms previously stipulated by the Brussels based bloc. Originally, the EU wanted to see key changes in Zimbabwe, including democratic, free and fair elections before removing any targeted sanctions.
But despite these changes not taking place, Europe has moved to secure its economic interests in Zimbabwe through the removal of the targeted measures. The Belgium based Antwerp World Diamond Council even admitted that it lobbied on ZANU PF’s behalf for the removal of the measures, in order to secure Zim diamond sales from its auction floors.
The re-engagement has also been justified by academics as the ‘the only possible way forward’, and according to London’s Chatham House think tank, a pragmatic diplomacy is required to ‘normalise’ relations with Mugabe.
Economist and social commentator Vince Musewe however said this re-engagement only helps “entrench Mugabe’s dictatorship,” at the expense of the rights of Zimbabwe. He said the justification given by Chatham House was “ridiculous.”
“I do not understand the motive of the EU, because what has changed since the sanctions were imposed? Nothing, in fact things have gotten worse,” Musewe told SW Radio Africa.
He added: “I am dumbfounded by this. And it is clearly not about what is best for Zimbabwe.”
Musewe also wrote in an opinion piece this week that while Zimbabwe does need economic rescue and revival, it should not come at the cost of “rescuing a dictator.”
“The first thing we need to do is to revive industry and create jobs and thereby reduce the suffering in the shortest period of time. This could be done through the establishment of a Zimbabwe re-industrialisation fund that is not administered by this government, but as a private equity fund that invests in those companies that can be revived quickly. This will reduce the pain,” Musewe suggested
He added: “Second, I think that we must establish an Agriculture Revival Fund. Farmers should be compensated and all those who occupy land should get title so that they can be productive. This would trigger the revival of other sectors and create massive employment. Third, indigenisation laws must be suspended for the purposes of immediate economic recovery, thus attracting more foreign investment in other sectors.”
COMMENTS
Its the diamonds . Mugabe throws a dummy by moving to Dubai,so he is playing the Arabs against Brussels. They will all be bidding to help out. Its not within our interest but Zanu’s survival.They live by the day now.
And what it 300 million, its pocket money for the looters. The Eu knows its just feeding corruption.
Shame.
Zanupf looters already smiling in the que for it. Not ashamed of pocketing millions. Who envies them
These clowns also believe in father Christmas if they think even for a second that the E.U. Taxpayers, Germany in particular who are already livid about having to bail out the economies of Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, Ireland etc. Are going to give ( I cannot use the word lend) millions and millions to these thieving goons.
If it is a loan – EU will never be repaid. Even under responsible new government the argument for non-repayment will be that the money went to an inhumane, illegal dictatorship to enable continued suppression of it’s own people!! If it is a grant a lot of it will disappear into zanupf pockets. Who wins? We certainly know who loses!!
These useless ZANU’s think it is normal to receive aid. They have no self respect or dignity.
Chinamasa wishful daydreaming
Ya really t.s a mess everywher let the mney cmes guys then we will see its use nd lets.ask fr accountavility to Chinamasa I highly believe this money comes with conditions nd zanu does nt want to fail ths one
truth, what drivel and what awful writing,
get a grip, no one is impressed by you
Kindergarten prose.
Let’s get it over with, it has been said before on this site, the opposition must make it abundantly clear to the world that any loans etc. Which are made to these thieves will not, under any circumstances, be honored by a future legitimate government. It may result in short term pain, but no worse than we are going to feel anyway
Andy you are saying something reasonable. Future democratic governments must not be bound by agreements crafted for selfish and imperialistic interests falsely described as aid after “re-engagement……” Nothing has changed. If they remove them now it means that they had no reason to put them in place. Looters and murderers still do as they were doing. Repression and threat of violence unless one tores Mugabe’s line is still as it was. So what “re engagement”?
‘Farmers should be compensated and all those who occupy land should get title so that they can be productive’. Really Vince! So you think we should legitimise the occupiers? Without people with the know how of how to farm commercially whether large or small scale we will go nowhere. Knowledge is power not possession. As some occupiers have fund to their cost they can lose their ill-gotten gain overnight while many displaced farmers have gone elsewhere & used their knowledge to their benefit.
The EU is some confused place with the Human Rights Act one of its more assinine legislations.
Murderers and sundry other criminals demand of their rights to be respected and the EU listens.
Victims’ rights don’t come into the equation.
As for Chatham House, forget these British bumblers.
They advised Gordon Brown to leave the Zim issue in Mbeki’s hands and we all know the result of that one.
But, as someone has mentioned, Merkel won’t allow a single Euro to go to Zim Looters Ltd.
And for that we have to be thankful.
Germany is the single biggest contributor to the EU pot and so whatever the EU is paying Mugabe the Germans pay the lion’s share of it.
What is disappointing here is that it was Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel who has stood firm about Greece taking the bitter economic re-form medicine and rightly so too. Greece needed the reforms but mis-management and corruption there is nowhere near what has been hap-pening in Zimbabwe.
100 children below the age five are dying every day in Zimbabwe of pre-ventable diseases because the health service has collapse due to lack of funds. We have just learned that Chikurubi Prison, the country’s main prison, has had no running water for the last ten years again because of lack of funds. And yet five kilometres away from Chikurumbi is Mugabe’s Blue Roof mansion valued at $20 million, he had a $1 million birthday bash followed by a $5 million wedding party for his daughter!
Mismanagement and corruption are rampant in Zimbabwe and Mugabe is openly flouting just how rich he is.
The same EU with an army of officials in Athens to make sure Greece takes every drop of its reform medicine is sending Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia to give Mugabe a fat cheque of $318 million so the tyrant can fudge economic recovery for a few more months whilst he continues in his corrupt ways.
This is one of the worst cases of malicious rich uncle syndrome. Whilst the rich uncle is strict about discipline with his own children he will not contribute a penny to have his poor relations nephews and nieces go to a half decent schools but from the age ten he has paid without failure for their yearly playboy subscriptions and for their flights and two weeks accommodation to Amsterdam so they could drink alcohol and smoke weed!
The poor relations have a right to ask why the rich uncle is corrupting their children just as the long suffering people of Zimbabwe now ask why the EU is bankrolling Mugabe’s corrupt rule.
My point exactly.
The Germans are not going to give Mugabe their hard earned Euros.
Never mind what this EU Commission recommends.
Typical they will deal with the devil to get their hands on some diamonds.
You Musewe and your cahoots…you feel good when seeing Zimbabweans sufferS…EU…. PLEASE REMOVE THESE SANCTIONS…
Wake up S ndlovu, if that’s your real moniker.
Zim is suffering not because of so called EU sanctions but because of zanu, a machine hell bent on destroying everything in zim.
How much looting has so far been exposed, for one?
And you still think its outside forces influencing our economy?
Probably a wasted few minutes on my part.