via Germany says keeping keen eye on Harare 10 August 2014
A SENIOR Germany official says President Robert Mugabe’s commitment to democratising Zimbabwe will be judged on his willingness to uphold the values enshrined in the new Constitution adopted last year.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com in Berlin, Germany, the federal government official who requested anonymity for diplomatic reasons said they would also closely monitor if Mugabe will re-align the country’s laws with the new Constitution.
“What we are going to do is to engage with the Harare administration and discuss the benefits of the implementation of the new charter, asking who really benefits out of its implementation.”
Germany, together with other European Union (EU) countries, has maintained targeted sanctions on Mugabe and his henchmen that were imposed in 2002 as punishment for alleged electoral fraud and violating human rights.
Under the terms of the sanctions, Mugabe and his close lieutenants were banned from setting foot in Europe with their assets being frozen. Mugabe blames the targeted sanctions for ruining Zimbabwe’s economy.
Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabweans have known since the country’s independence from Britain in 1980, was re-elected last July as he consolidated his grip on power.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party led by Morgan Tsvangirai rejected the election result as fraudulent.
The Germany official said while the elections were free and fair, “these are not the only elements which are considered when judging the outcome”.
Commenting on the decision by the EU to re-engage Zimbabwe, the official said: “This is not a decision which will be taken by Germany alone but by the entire members of the bloc.
“I do not know what they are using to justify the lifting of measures on President Mugabe. This can be best answered by the EU not Germany alone.”
He said the political situation in Zimbabwe was “different now from what it was in the previous years and we consider this a positive step.”
COMMENTS
Expecting Mugabe to rewrite the laws to democratize the country will be like expecting elephants to fly.
These Germans will stand by and watch genocide taking place in front of their eyes and sell Mercedes to the perpetrators. They do it all the time. It is their national character. They cannot tell right from wrong. These are the people who elected Hitler as their leader.
If only pigs could fly
John Thomas. Zimbos also voted for Hitler in 1980. I’d rather live in Germany than mugbeland
Different now…..how? Please explain cause no-one else sees this positive change you are talking about!
So it’s different now – oh really! Tell the German Official and other EU members to come and sell a bunch of tomatos on a filthy broken pavement, while your small unschooled child sits in poverty next to you. Makes one sick to read these stupid comments from those who don’t live here and our clueless.
Observing Mugabe thus all what he wanted when he rigged the elections. He knows that people will only talk while he is enjoying the loot. Everything is negative as a result of that act. Constitutional changes in Zimbabwe will never align anything in any direction. This should have started with the voting processes. The entire world was beaten on that by Mugabe and ZANU PF, any other clause to think it will change is a dream.
Who is this Germany officially talking nonsense to!!!!!
By the way was Hitler not from Germany. Does this German official have information about how may Jews were slaughtered by the great Hitler? Maybe not coz if he new, he was not suppose to be making any noise about Mugabe. The Germans must pay the for their sins of slaughtering the Jews rather than shouting nonsensical staff!!! Tell this German official and his allies to go hang!!!