Sanctions are foolish and must go: Prof Ncube

THE leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Professor Welshman Ncube has said sanctions are an "albatross around our necks" and are negating the very democracy that their imposers claim to be seeking.

Prof Ncube wrote a status update in his facebook wall stating: "Sanctions as a strategy to bring about political change in Zimbabwe in my opinion are not only short sighted but unstrategic and self defeating. They are ultimately foolish and similar to cutting off your nose in order to spite your face.

"With sanctions in place there is absolutely no chance of a free and fair election and equally no chance of a transfer of power. Sanctions give Zanu PF a perfect pretext for refusing to accept the verdict of the people on the claim that, the verdict has been secured by sanctions imposed by the erstwhile imperialists whom we defeated in the war of liberation and who now seek to reverse that victory through sanctions. Bizarre as this might be, it is to them a matter over which they are prepared to go to war.

"Clearly, therefore at this juncture sanctions are, what ever their original intent or supposed purpose, an albatross around our necks negating the very democracy they were meant to serve. What is more is they are making it that much more difficult for the government to turn around the economy and empower people. A poor and struggling people can never be a free people. Poverty and dependency not only humiliates and degrades but ultimately undermines a people's capacity for truly free electoral choice," he said.

He further added that travel restrictions and Restrictive measures are targeted towards individuals. In this case individuals are barred from travel, accounts frozen etc.

In same piece the MDC leaders said sanctions refer to the economic sanctions that are on the country.

"These include the ban of certain organisations and countries to deal with the government of Zimbabwe and some of its organisations including parastatals. Organisations such as the IMF and other influential global players would be amongst some that greatly affect us as a government. This affects the ability of parastatals to amongst other things obtain loans as well receive balance of payment assistance," he wrote.

Prof Ncube said he hoped that people will understand the MDC position on sanctions and not confuse it with what parties stand for.

"Hopefully you will know that our position as the MDC on this matter is that we in the spirit of the GPA have called for both restrictive measures and economic sanctions to be dropped. Our reasons are that these hurt the lives of Zimbabweans through the obvious economic effects from a non functional government or its institutions.

"We have also called for restrictive measures to be dropped as they affect the ability of members of our government and the image of our government through some of its members being on these lists. We came to an agreement that in the spirit of the GPA we should speak with one voice on this matter and call for the removal of these. I am glad to say that we have sincerely kept to our side of the bargain in public as well as behind closed doors as we believe it is the best route for the betterment of the lives of Zimbabweans and the challenges they face," wrote Ncube.