via White lobby group denies links with ZANU PF | SW Radio Africa by Nomalanga Moyo on Wednesday, February 19, 2014
The chairperson of newly-formed ‘Zimbabweans Against Sanctions’ lobby group has denied any links with the ruling ZANU PF party.
Mathew Smith, his father Gary and former cricketer Heath Streak, announced the formation of the anti-sanctions group in Harare on Monday.
The group has attracted divided opinion, with many Zimbabweans saying the group is seeking to enamour itself to ZANU PF in order to benefit from the regime’s patronage system.
ZANU PF has already commended the group for “rallying behind President Robert Mugabe” and for speaking against the restrictive measures.
Smith said this was to be expected “because for the first time we have something that we can agree on and the lifting of sanctions affects them more than us, but it does not mean that we are affiliated to them.”
“We are however glad that ZANU PF has come out to support us. We are a completely apolitical group whose main concern is that sanctions are real and are hurting Zimbabweans,” he added.
Smith said his father’s business interests are only in the mining sector, where he is as a director.
“We have operated a contract mining firm in Zimbabwe for the past 20 years and none of the mines we are involved with have any links to ZANU PF. Anyone is free to come and check, we have nothing to hide,” Smith added.
He said none of their mining activities involved diamonds.
Smith insisted that the targeted sanctions were bad for the country, and that the group they had received a lot of support from across the political divide.
“It is a misconception that the (targeted) sanctions were imposed on just a few people because if you check the American ZIDERA (Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act) it imposes blanket economic sanctions,” he said.
Earlier this week however, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton said the US targeted sanctions programme seeks to limit the economic activities of a very small number of individuals and entities (113 and 70 respectively) who, “have shown a willful disregard for the rule of law, democratic process, and human rights in Zimbabwe.”
Wharton said everyone else was free to import, export and do business with US firms.
The EU this week suspended restrictions against all ZANU PF members who were on their list, except Mugabe and his wife grace and arms dealer the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
COMMENTS
This is a Chaminuka Building project. Check on the business linkages of the front runners of the group. The majority of this country are suffering from the misrule and cruelty of the rulers and are against the relaxation – who are these five people and whose interests are they formenting?
The Europeans want these diamonds they cannot loose out to the Chinese. Whether there is sunctions or not ,the looting Will continue and the economy will continue sliding .I can not be bothered with this. We are all alone…..
Hard to understand what this is really about
Smith is talking with blow flies buzzing around his mouth. This is a ZanuPF project and the c r a p this man talks is not going to sway Zimbabweans into thinking otherwise.
These whites aren’t stupid, they like Zanu’s gravy train of privaledge and access to resources. They do not care about the povo. They played a major role in Zanu’s election campaign. They are traitors.
Whites in favour of zanu pf seems so odd.like a goat and a lion on mountain hiking ,the lion is so hungry and the goat is so fat!!!!!!!
Murimi has been away for too long.
He comes back and finds white folks on same page with govt and boxing matches @ Harvest House.
Im sure Mr Smith(not comrade) & friends are not crazy,brainwashed and backward card carrying members of Zanu pf,as Murimi.
What a good laugh.
Could Mr Smith be related to Ian?
Its just a thought…
No Im sure not…
Heath! what the heck are you up to man? If you happen to see this forum please explain yourself as it does not look good and I have always respected you and your family above ths rediculous nonsense.Im sure you are already answering a lot of difficult questions.
Heath is into Zanupf. His cricket training academy in surbubs Bulawayo is run by him and Zanupf people. One Zanupf local leader called Mashava is an official. It is like Heath is wearing the Zanupf gear with Mugabe’s head. Sanctions are already being lifted and to form that now because Tswangirai has clearly failed only bogs down to a surrender to politics of patronage and corruption. Its a sign that whites have accepted that the MDCs just could not dislodge Zanupf on their behalf so why not just join Zanupf and keep one’s food on the table?
Bottom line “GREED” black or white all the same.”We are completely apolitical”.
Tsek Matthew Smith. Get a brain. You can’t be apolitical and support ZANU at the same time. Free and fair election? Where were you at the time?
What sanctions? I can trade with anyone on this planet.
How many times has the excuse of sanctions been used to cover the incompetence of this government? So for that reason & that reason only & especially now that it only affects two people what’s the point. Let the remaining personal sanctions be lifted so that ZPF can no longer hide behind it. In the meantime can Mr Smith share with us just exactly how his group are affected. Without doing so just what do they expect us to think of their motives?
Zanu PROJECT period
This is a clear ZPF creation
These sellouts have paid Zanu heaps of möney under the table so know where their bread is buttered. They would rather sell their souls to the devil than see our suffering people prosper. SHAME
It makes no sense to me these people dont participate in elections and live in fear under this government ,and yet they call for sanctions to be removed on Robert mugabe ,what about us what do we get ,there is no diaspora vote ,dual citizenship is not clear ,no votersroll,the law applys selectively ,zec is not independent,it would be a betrayal if anyone listens to these people because to the majority of zimbabweans its nothing .
I hope Ian Smith is turning in his grave by the abuse of his name “Smith”. How can this group say they are apolitical when they are clearly fighting for the President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace Mugabe the commander in-chief of ZANU PF party to be delisted from EU sanctions. Our constitution allows freedom of association. The group must not be shy or ashamed of being ZANU PF. Come out in the open so that we know what we did not know that ZANU PF was RF and RF was ZANU PF. Ko vana vevanhu vakafireiko?
this is all about dirty zanu-pf money, why else would they be calling for zanu-pf bank accounts to be unfrozen…..(these guys are all in bed with zanu-pf and want to line there own pockets) this has nothing to do with he grater good of the country
Turncoats are worse than the sworn enemy.
Ass lickers, Streak has a safari/ hunting business. Smith has gold mines etc., so what do they want. Lick ass and hope to keep what they got.
Sanctions are not democratic, they are as bad as forcing Mangoma by assault to support Tsvangiray for Presidency. So they must go. In any case they failed their intended purpose. If you employ the same method for 13 yrs and expect different results you must very very slow. Thats the reason Europe is changing its stance.
If the Zim authorities could look into Smith’s illegal Gold activities. He sends it all to South Africa via the back door, not paying the South African authorities the relevant import duties and nor repatriating the money to Zimbabwe. All he is doing is keeping in bed with his ZANU PF thugs who he buys gold with. He is white scum and as for Streak, another bit of white scum who is well in with ZANU of. We have pages of evidence to prove it all.