Nelson, these sanctions are on you!

In early December, less than two weeks after the people of Zimbabwe had ousted the Mugabes, three men made their way to Washington DC.

They had seen the enthusiasm in the streets of Harare. They had felt the excitement around the country at the new dispensation. And they had heard the glowing praise around the world for President Mnangagwa's inauguration speech, which was seen as conciliatory, forward looking and representing a clear break from the past.

Unlike the millions of excited Zimbabweans, Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and Dewa Mavhinga were worried. Very worried. With elections coming up, they could see that they would be up it, facing a popular leader with a reformist agenda. The public had embraced him and the international community were set to follow suit.

They knew they had one last chance of avoiding electoral obliteration. Zimbabwe needed foreign investment and support in order to get out of the ditch it was in, and while the investors were encouraged by ED's vision, sanctions were still in place, making investment difficult and condemning millions of Zimbabweans to poverty.

Chamisa knew that if sanctions were removed, as was being mooted, he was finished.

And so, he and his partners in crime made the pilgrimage to their masters in Washington to beg for the continuation of sanctions. They were begging for their futures.

The impact of their trip has been huge. Not only did the US opt not to remove sanctions, but a new sanctions bill was passed by Congress on Friday, just three days before Election Day.

If anyone wants to argue that sanctions are not political, how can they explain why a new bill was passed three days prior to the elections?

His US paymasters gave Chamisa a lifeline as requested. They sent a clear message to the Zimbabwean people. Don't you dare vote for ED. If you do, you will be punished.

So Chamisa's plan worked up to a point.

But here is the flaw in it. The Zimbabwean people do not like to be dictated to. They don't like to be told who to vote for.

What's more, unlike in the past, today these voices in the Senate pushing for more sanctions are a minority. We are now accepted and welcomed around the world.

On the same day as the US Senate was seeking to undermine Zimbabwe's democracy, ED was attending the BRICS Summit as a guest of honour.

For those that do not know, BRICS is a grouping of five of the biggest and fastest growing economies in the world – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. They represent over 40% of the world's population, and one third of the world's GDP. An invitation to the BRICS Summit, to address the world's leaders and have one on one meetings with Vladimir Putin among others is a new thing for Zimbabwe, a significant step for our economy, and should not be taken lightly.

What this means is that the voters have a clear choice on Monday. It is a choice between a man whose selfishness means he calls for new sanctions that will harm the people of Zimbabwe, all to help him to get into power; and a man who is working tirelessly to bring in investment to boost our economy and create jobs.

It's between a job destroyer and a job creator – its that simple.