United Kingdom’s Minister for Africa Harriet Baldwin said her Government is considering putting new Zimbabwean government officials under the European Union sanctions list for human rights violations following recent crackdown by security forces.
Appearing before the parliamentary committee on International Development Baldwin said the recent crackdown by the military had made the UK realise it is not the right time to remove sanctions against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Baldwin said the sanction would be targeted and UK would continue with its humanitarian aid in health and social services. Said Baldwin:
Talking about sanctions, the committee may be aware that the process of rolling over the EU sanctions has just come up and the UK has been urging that it is not the right time for us to allow the sanction to expire. And my thinking is that since the recent developments, we think they might be a case for widening it to include further individuals. We have been aware that the president has said that heads will roll; we have not seen any specific head rolling. That might be a good example of the kids of the people who could be included in the sanction regime.
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My comment is in relation to the judge who defended the fast track process in which rioters were dealt with quoting the the process as having been used in the UK for the London Riots. What a travesty that a supposed learned person defend such injustice. In the UK, the fastrack process was used where several courts were open 24 hours in order to process the large numbers of defendants. Each individual was given due process with proper arraignment. To arraign offenders in a group is contrary to due process abd does not take into account each individual’s culpability and does not not ascertain the proper sentencing. Taking away civil liberties is a serious responsibility that cannot be dealt with in the most expedient way without careful consideration. That is why Zimbabwe and it’s corrupt officials and dodgy justice process will remain foul of any international provisions and should not be encouraged to continue perpetrating such shoddy treatment upon civilians. Shame on Kenya for suggesting they will back Zimbabwe to have sanctions cuts led. Do they live in those awful situations that the people of Zimbabwe are facing? I thought Kenyans were reasonable? Now I believe them questionable. Lest we forget that human rights are not to be manipulated in order to score with cronies.