via PressTV – SADC asks West to lift Zimbabwe sanctions by GJH/HN
Southern African leaders have called on the West to lift all forms of sanctions leveled against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, individuals and firms.
The leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) made the demand on Sunday in the Malawian capital Lilongwe during the final day of annual SADC summit.
The leaders of the 15-nation bloc called for “the lifting of all forms of sanctions hitherto imposed on Zimbabwe”.
“I believe Zimbabwe deserves better, Zimbabweans have suffered enough,” said Malawian President Joyce Banda, the new head of the SADC.
The SADC also praised Mugabe for “holding free and peaceful elections”, and congratulated him and his ZANU-PF party for their landslide victory in the July 31 elections.
In addition, the SADC appointed the octogenarian Zimbabwean leader the deputy chairman of the group and voted that Zimbabwe will host the next SADC summit in July 2014.
Earlier this month, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that Mugabe beat Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai with 61 percent of the votes against his rival’s 34 percent.
On August 9, the MDC, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, filed a legal challenge to Mugabe’s victory in the July 31 presidential election.
Tsvangirai said on Friday that he had withdrawn the legal motion to the elections.
On August 2, the African Union (AU) praised Zimbabwe for holding peaceful elections, and dismissed the accusations of rigging made by the MDC.
Olusegun Obasanjo, the head of the AU observer mission, said that the elections in the southern African country were “free, honest and credible”.
Mugabe has become Africa’s oldest leader at 89, having ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai have been sharing power since 2009, following a deal brokered by a regional bloc to end the unrest sparked after a disputed poll in 2008.
Violence broke out in the last presidential election in 2008, forcing Tsvangirai out of the race despite a first round win after 200 of his supporters were killed in the unrest.
COMMENTS
Amazing!! I mean sadc is yet to proclaim the polls to be fair and credible. Please dont get me wrong. Im neither advocating for the non removal nor removal of the said sanctions. I mean if they want to be taken seriously by the eu shouldnt they have been bold enough and declared the polls fair and credible istead of dilly dalling on the decession on the pretex that they are waiting for reports from observers when its clear they already have made up their mind.
sadc are a joke the au are a bigger joke,they should shut up shop ,not fit for representing a zoo
What happened to the look east policy?
These clowns shout themselves hoarse about sovereignty then want to make demands on equally sovereign nations. As sovereign nations it is their right, though shameful, to recognize an electoral fraudster who violated the very principles they themselves put in place.
By the same token, it is the sovereign right of western nations to choose which Africans should be allowed to go shopping for designer suits in their countries.
I hope the west applies sanctions on the whole lot of them.Let them all stay at home and reap what they have sown.
SADC – the west will not listen to a MAFIA group like yours. You lack any objectivity and are all CROOKS. This explains why most SADC countries remain poor. How can we progress with such a bunch of SELFISH and STUPID leaders?
“I believe Zimbabwe deserves better, Zimbabweans have suffered enough,” said Malawian President Joyce Banda. Very truthful words indeed madam President.Zimbabwe deserves better than to have stolen elections repeatedly endorsed by the dictators clubs of SADC and AU!Zimbabweans have indeed suffered enough under the brutality and thieving of Mugabe’s evil regime, which remains in power because of your support.Shame on all of you heartless charlatans!
Another day in paradise. No electricity, no water for three days! Shame on you SADC…..Stupid Ar**** Dumb Criminals !
these rogue ‘so called leaders’ must first lift the sunctions that they have imposed, and continue to impose anew upon their people before they can ask others to ‘lift’ sunctions that are primarily aimed at the same dictators. while i am at it, let no one ‘invest their hard earned cash into this so called ‘stock market’ that precludes others. chefs invest their stolen cash in the london stocks, and they want you to inverst in this ….’access to capital’ rubish … stock market from whence they will steal your money and inverst it into the british/other stocks. when push eventually comes to shove – after they have nicked enough of your money – as will innevitably happen, all will be writen off and the thieves will start again. Most zombos have no pension because the curency collupsed and is being engineered to collupse again with your money in it. only orbert mpofu will put ‘his’ stollen money in there. ironically, not even will he do so other than for the purpose of sucking your hard earned cash after which all the money will go the ,access to capital’ way. zimbabwe stock exchange my back side. be worned – no penny in there. they need money to re-introduce the zimkwacha now that they have ‘won’ the elections. i, for many, ain’t in. MBAVHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To Adam Jones, wow you are so right…. you have hit the nail right on the head!!!
Mapenzi aya ngaangoisawoka ma sanctions against the West handiti vanongotaurisa. Mugabe says he can go it alone so let him go it alone handiti ane ma China saka FDI yake ichabvaka ku China why is he worried. Masuit vanongotengerwaka ne vana avo vanzwa nekuchinjiswa ma surname kuti vaende kunyika nyoro idzi. Chero aksaita size but tinongoona kuti ma imports. Iyo China zvaine ma veto powers yadii kuvhota kuti ma sanctions aya abviswe? Ngaichisvotesaka ma Wetsren powers i vhure a car manufacturing plant muno and aeroplane manufacturing plant muno, an electronics manufacturing muno muone kubudirira kwatinoita kikikiki.
“I hope the west applies sanctions on the whole lot of them. Let them all stay at home and reap what they have sown.”
DITTO, well said. I wish, I wish, I wish.