Zimbabweans welcome suspended sanctions plans

Zimbabwean politicians and analysts have welcomed news that Europe is planning to suspend targeted measures on President Mugabe and his allies.

On both sides of the political divide, most agree that the sanctions, imposed in 2002 after the seizure of white-owned farms and violent presidential elections, had failed to hit their mark.

Most recently, Morgan Tsvangiri, the Movement for Democratic Change leader and prime minister in Zimbabwe's fragile coalition, and Navi Pillay, the UN human rights commissioner, have called for their lifting. Ms Pillay said the stigma of sanctions was inflicting damage on the Zimbabwean economy.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Welshman Ncube, president of the smaller faction of the MDC, said their suspension would promote a more open democracy.

"If this is true, then then this is the best news I have had in a very long time and is a very serious contribution by the EU to help create a climate where Zimbabweans can go to elections and freely express themselves," he said.

John Robertson, a Zimbabwean economist, said Zanu PF had made much "political mileage" out of the sanctions.

"Sanctions were the West's best gift to Zanu PF," he said. "However we should remember why the sanctions were imposed in the first place and that some of those crimes continue."

Zanu PF politicians also welcomed the move, saying it would give succour to "ordinary Zimbabweans".

Jonathan Moyo, Mr Mugabe's former Information Minister and a member of the Zanu PF Politburo, said the "evil and illegal" sanctions "should never have been imposed in the first place".

But he said that the threat to reinstate them was "patronising".

"It's very destabilising to say 'We are holding a big axe over your head if you don't run elections in a way that's acceptable to us' because it will be used by some political parties to get what they want," he said. "It will create a situation where it's heads, MDC wins and tails, MDC wins.

"If the Europeans want to help us, they must leave us to run our own affairs - we don't need to be treated like naughty children rewarded with sweets. It's a very patronising attitude."

Didymus Mutasa, Zanu PF's Secretary General and Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, said the suspension of sanctions would make little difference to the ruling class.

"It makes no difference to me whatsoever," he told The Telegraph. "I won't be going to London, it's very cold and the people are very unfriendly - I would rather stay here.

"We have been telling the British for years that the people they targeted are not being adversely affected by sanctions at all. We are still receiving our salaries and the situation for us is exactly the same.

"The people who are being affected are those who benefited from the industries that could not function under sanctions. We are happy only that our people will be happier."

Ian Makone, Morgan Tsvangirai's chief of staff, said they would wait to see the evidence of the suspension.

"We have so far been unable to find out from the EU anything about this, (sanctions) and until we are able to do so, we cannot comment," he said.