FULL TEXT: MDC Lists Issues Frustrating Zimbabwe's Re-engagement Efforts

Zimbabwe’s main opposition, MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa has said that Zimbabwe’s re-engagement drive was being frustrated by the slow pace at which reforms are being implemented, rampant corruption and violation of human rights.

We present below the party’s full statement which is made immediately after the United States of America has extended sanctions on Zimbabwe with a year.

Lethargy on Reforms, Grand Corruption and Human Rights abuses seriously undermining Zimbabwe’s re-engagement thrust: US President

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) takes note of President Trump’s statement to the United States (US) Congress on the continuation of the National Emergency with respect to Zimbabwe Foreign Policy issued on March 4, 2020. The statement is an indictment on the Harare regime’s attempts to reengage the international community and a clarion call for reforms, an end to corruption and respect for human rights abuses.

The statement notes that Zimbabwe had “ample opportunity to implement reforms that could set the country on a constructive path, stabilize the Southern Africa Region and open the door to greater cooperation with the United States’

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The statement further notes that ‘the Zimbabwean government has arguably accelerated its persecution of critics and economic mismanagement in the past year, during which security forces have conducted extrajudicial killings, rapes and alleged abductions’.

The statement by the US President comes a few weeks after the EU Council resolutions and the International Monetary Fund statement that all called for reforms, an end to corruption and state sponsored human rights abuses.

The MDC has consistently argued that Zimbabwe’s reengagement with the international community is a function of our domestic policy. The actions of the regime on the domestic arena have huge ramifications on its relations with the rest of the world. The Mnangagwa regime has consistently engaged in actions that are not in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, regional statutes and international law. Yet the regime has shamelessly lied to the whole world that it is implementing comprehensive reforms and committed to the reform agenda. These actions include the killing of the 6 unarmed civilians on August 1 2018, the 17 extrajudicial killings, cases of rape, abductions in January 2019, continued persecution of human rights defenders and opposition members, banning of peaceful protests and grand corruption.

The MDC has also argued that engaging lobbyists such as Ballard, Mercury LLC and Avenue Strategies for huge millions of taxpayers’ dollars as the Harare regime has done will not yield any positive results. It will further impoverish the struggling Zimbabwean citizenry.

The MDC reiterates that only action on the reform agenda is more likely to help our beloved country in its reengagement efforts with the international community.

Gladys Kudzaishe Hlatywayo MDC Secretary for International Relations