via Chinamasa tears into EU – DailyNews Live 17 February 2015
HARARE – Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, yesterday criticised the European Union (EU) for the travel ban on President Robert Mugabe and wife, Grace, as the trading bloc signed off a $270 million aid deal with Harare.
Chinamasa said relations between the two were going to remain frosty until the bans were permanently lifted.
“While we have taken significant steps towards normalisation of Zimbabwe- EU relations, we must remain cognisant of the fact that there is still unfinished business. Zimbabwe Incorporated has a chief executive and as long as the chief executive remains under sanctions, our relations remain poisoned and unproductive. I therefore take this opportunity to call for the unconditional lifting of sanctions against our head of State and the First Lady,” Chinamasa said.
He added that officials who had been excused from the ban still found it ironic that the EU maintained its stance as far as the Mugabes were concerned.
“All you are saying to us is that we can visit you but we can’t bring our father, dialogue must be between equals and we will never be equals until the president is removed from these illegal sanctions,” he said.
EU ambassador to Zimbabwe, Philippe Van Damme, however said he was not in a position to comment on the issue as he had not received communication on the way forward.
“I have no power to comment on this particular issue, as we are still waiting for the Committee to deal with the issue and decide on the final outcome. However, all I can say is that the direction is clear, once the factors that led to the restrictions are eliminated the restrictions will be eliminated as well,” he said.
The EU recently eased its travel ban on Mugabe, while he serves as chairman of the African Union for the next year. EU spokesperson Catherine Ray said the “ban will be lifted when he is travelling under his African Union chairmanship capacity”.
The EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 over abuses linked to national elections, banning travel in Europe and freezing the assets of dozens of officials and business representatives. The measures have been gradually lifted in recent years to encourage reform but the 90-year-old Zimbabwean leader and his wife Grace remain on the EU blacklist. The role of rotating AU chairman is largely ceremonial, therefore, Mugabe will still be largely restricted.
Meanwhile, the EU and Zimbabwe signed a $270 million (EUR 234 million) National Indicative Programme (Nip), under a joint cooperation, funded by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), to fund numerous projects that include health and the constitutional alignment.
The EU and government anticipate the formulation of projects worth over EUR 160 million by year end. Zimbabwe last received direct aid from the EU about 13 years ago.
COMMENTS
mr chinamasa – please feel free to refuse to sign this agreement with eu.
So petty and infantile for EU to continue with the sanctions. There should be a general acceptance that Robert Mugabe has won this phase of the battle. By maintaining sanctions on the President and First Lady Zimbabweans need to understand thar irrespective of whatever else happens and whatever else is said, the war is still on.
@ farai
‘the war is still on’? You think you can fight the West? The only reason they have not eliminated Mugabe is because Zim is of little strategic interest – otherwise he’d have gone the same way as Gaddafi and Bin Laden. So I say keep fighting – I’m happy to see you suffer.
So petty and infantile for EU to continue with the sanctions. There should be a general acceptance that Robert Mugabe has won this phase of the battle. By maintaining sanctions on the President and First Lady Zimbabweans need to understand thar irrespective of whatever else happens and whatever else is said, the war is still on. The day we relax our guard, the day we think the relationahip is normal we will get zapped! That u can count on.
Farai Mugabe has not won anything if he had then he would be free to travel wherever he wants including the EU. EU members can visit Zimbabwe while they cannot so what has he won. Chinamasa complains that Mugabe he is still limited to travelling into the EU but you still believe that he won. If the government feels so strongly about it then they are free to refuse EU members into Zimbabwe and also to refuse to sign any agreements with them and refuse their financial support Chinamasa is just singing for his meal.
Varikuda kunoitei KuEU kwacho? Maybe ivo vana Mugabe are being petty kushingirira kuda kuenda kwavasingadiwe.
As with people countries can and do chose who they let into their house/country. The Europeans do not want in their countries a man who breached the rule of law, committed genocide and has looted the economy. I wouldn’t let him in my house either.
So what you are saying Farai is that everyone should just accept what Bob has done – all of the murders, human rights abuses, the wholesale slaughter of his own people. Why? Why should we just accept it. Because it is in the past? Because we should move on from these things? Good grief Farai, the EU is giving this country money that they should not be giving – and ZPF can count themselves very fortunate indeed that this is happening. But let Bob off the hook? NEVER
Mugabe and his wife must remain on sanctions untill they die.Mugabe has single handedly distroyed our beautiful country and he deserves what he is getting from the west.its him who is a racist not the other way round.
Everyone z now civilizd no one can coloniz another de whole world watches so lets take adv of de rule of law being spearheaded worldwide not de rul by law, POSA, AIPPA etc it doesn’t work 2day we both need each other hate coz one to suffer more so de wise acts in a way dat z benefial gaining momentum bit by bit to claim biga stakes not to rush for de stakes dat u can’t handle. A high point needs a lada step by step don’t risk by jumbing u may slip n fatally fall. Thanc u Wel sa wai
Thieving scumbags are a pathetic bunch they are want to call the shots