'Masiyiwa calls for removal of sanction, who dares to contradict' - I dare, here he is hopeless wrong

In augmenting Masiyiwa's sentiments Obert Gutu tweeted: "Now when a whole billionaire like Strive Masiyiwa calls for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe, iwe zvako Mupurwa…iwezvako Zuze… (you lizard … you nobody) you still clamour that sanctions shouldn't be removed! Who does that?"

I, Patrick Gachidzai Guramatunhu, do call for sanctions to remain!

"The political change in Zimbabwe is real, President Mnangagwa is sincere, sanctions must go, politicking must stop and let's focus on rebuilding the country," said Masiyiwa.

Zimbabwe is still a pariah state as President Mnangagwa himself has so graphically proven to be so by blatantly rigging the elections. Zimbabwe is still ruled by the same corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs who ruled the roost before the November 2017 military coup; or be it the dictatorship has a new top dog and one or two other musical chair changes.

The Americans made it very clear that the sanctions will be lifted if Zanu PF held free, fair and credible elections. This did not happen and so the sanctions must stay and rightly so too!

If Masiyiwa thinks there can ever be any meaningful economic recovery whilst Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by incompetent, corrupt and vote rigging thugs then he is more naive and stupid than he looks. He has failed to understand why investors have shied away from investing in Zimbabwe these last 20 years and will continue to do so until there is real political change in the country.

Even the Chinese are not investing in Zimbabwe and have not done so for the last 20 years for the same reason; no one wants to do business in a pariah state ruled by corrupt and wasteful thugs.

Zimbabwe's economic meltdown is the product of 38 years of wasted resources and opportunities due to gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the lawlessness that has made it near impossible for honest business activities to operate. Ordinarily, the people would have stop the wastefulness long before it got out of hand by forcing those in power to address the mismanagement, corruption, etc. and electing new leaders. Zanu PF has rigged elections making the regime unaccountable to the people.

Zimbabwe's economic recovery will never happen, not as long as the corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging Zanu PF regime remains in power. It is disappointing that someone like Strive Masiyiwa would be so naive and stupid to think anything of substance can ever be accomplished whilst Zimbabwe remains a pariah state.

The only realistic hope of Zimbabwe ending this curse of pariah state is for the country to hold free, fair and credible elections. But for that to happen, we must first implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. (The same reform Obert Gutu and the rest of the MDC leaders failed to implemented in five years of the 2008 GNU.)

Since Zanu PF will never implement any reforms, we have no choice but to force the regime to step down to allow the appointment of an interim administration that will implement the reforms. Zanu PF rigged the 30 July 2018 elections and, per se, have no mandate to govern and must step down.

The sanction against the regime is the added pressure for the regime to step down and therefore only a village idiot would want them lifted.

Mr. Obert Gutu is desperate for some political limelight, the very poor performance of the Ms Khupe led MDC faction of which he is the deputy, has left Gutu desperate for some political relevance. Mr Gutu even "a whole billionaire Masiyiwa" can be hopelessly wrong. No Gutu, it you are the Mupurwa, who sell-out on reforms and who believe the rich know everything!