MDC Alliance activists' arrests 'ploy for sanctions renewal'?

Recent allegations of targeted arrests and human rights abuses in the country have been described as a ploy by opposition linked political activists to influence the outcome of a sanctions review process by the European Union that is due next month.

Every February since the imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe by the European Union in 2002, the bloc meets to review the illegal embargo.

With a few days before the review of the sanctions, activities on the ground by political activists bankrolled by the foreign countries are pointing to an evil yet predictable plot. Zimbabweans could be wondering why political activist Hopewell Chin'ono and MDC Alliance members Fadzai Mahere and Job Sikhala have been grandstanding by wantonly breaking the law.

According to political analysts, the answer is very clear as the activists are simply singing for their supper by finding ways of getting arrested so that they can find reasons to call for the EU to renew sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Political analyst, Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa says it has become a norm for opposition members and their sympathizers to provoke law enforcement agents in a bid dent the image of the country, more so at the beginning of each year when the European Union (EU) would be about to review sanctions on Zimbabwe.

"The month of January and February are the months of madness where sponsored puppets from the opposition party and so called human right activists go into annual rituals with the West to plot the renewal of illegal sanctions.

"They generate a lot of noise and all sorts of tricks so that Zim gains the attention of west the main is for the president of USA renew illegal embargo on us. So we are going to see a lot of shenanigans from the compromised opposition as well as sponsored puppets from Zimbabwe.

"I appeal to Zimbabweans not to be swayed by these puppets and remain steadfast in rebuilding our economy," said Ambassador Mutsvangwa.

Human rights defender, Abirgal Mupambi says the human rights card should never be raised when one is arrested for a criminal act, adding that court procedures are to be followed until one is either convicted or acquitted.

"The human rights card should not be applied selectively. We have seen fake abductions treated as human rights issues. Now let us talk of Hopewell, he is not the first one to be arrested.

"This whole noise his arrest calls for someone to be worried. If you look at it closed you are tempted to believe the narrative that this a hoax that plays to the toxic propaganda to renew sanctions. Those who want sanction must know that illegal sanction are the worst human right violation," she said.  

Another human rights activist, Linda Masarira says such actions by these activists must never be tolerated. Masarira is calling for for the fast tracking of the ratification of the Patriotic Bill into law if the country is to address the problem of such shameless people who do not care for the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans being punished by sanctions.

Said Masarira: "We have seen the same dirty tactics being repeated to influence the renewal of illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe. What is happening with the likes of Chin'ono and accomplices is not new –  this is deliberate by political activist who want to sell our country for 2 US dollars.

"This must not be tolerated and I think it's high time the relevant authorities bring the Patriotic bill into law so that such unholy souls account for their wrong doings."

SADC and the African Union have condemned the continued existence of western imposed illegal sanctions of the country, as they are causing untold suffering to ordinary people. Besides the EU sanctions, Zimbabwe has also been under United States sanctions since the then US President George W. Bush signed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act into law on the 21st of December 2001.