The fad of sanctions: Crimea lessons for Zimbabwe

Well, Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for about two decades now and it has become very clear to all and sundry that the United States of America and its allies, will continue using one excuse after another to maintain the illegal sanctions. Whatever we do, they will always find one small thing to use as a scapegoat.

The time has come for all to realise that we should continue doing what is good for the development of our country, with or without the sanctions.

Suffice to say, this instalment was inspired by what I learnt from Crimea, a country that was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, broke away with many others at the demise of USSR, but rejoined Russia five years ago.

Crimea, like mainland Russia, has been under US sanctions, albeit the sanctions being illegal, but it has not looked back. Crimea is soldiering on. Crimea is showing no regrets and is satisfied that it made the right decision.

Crimea does not give a hoot to US sanctions. In fact it feels honoured that the sanctions define them as  a country not close to evil US. They would rather not hug the hyena than make peace with it. Sanctions have become one of the US's biggest weaponry in cowing down countries it feels are not submissive to it.

And, when the US decides to impose the sanctions, it is vicious and aggressive to the point of ignoring statues of the United Nations, as well as those from continental and regional blocs. Call it the big brother mentality.

Never be fooled by the narrative on democracy, good governance, accountability and human rights; those are warped fabrications used by the US and its allies as smokescreens behind which it hides its regime change agenda on countries it identifies as untoward.

The US has positioned itself and indeed made itself the policeman of the world, whose duty it is to make everyone follow its belief system and yet everyone knows how the US loves exploiting other countries' resources for its own benefit. And, this it does at any cost, including killing people and a means to its end.

Progressive-thinking people in the world now know that the US is preoccupied with enriching itself and sponsors regime change through funding wars, funding opposition political parties and imposing sanctions. Zimbabwe has, for almost two decades, been under sanctions and its crime was a land reform embarked on to address a historical imbalance.

To justify the sanctions, the US and its allies called the land reform, farm invasions and suddenly Zimbabwe became undemocratic, inhuman and badly governed.

Five years ago, Crimea decided to rejoin the Russian Federation, irking the United States of America which imposed sanctions. This is despite the fact that the people of Crimea went through a referendum in which they decided to rejoin Russia.

To justify their sanctions, the US and its allies called it annexation. Russia annexed Crimea. That is the fad of US sanctions. In both Zimbabwe and Crimea, suddenly the US came up with fake stories of human rights abuses, lack of democracy, poor governance and lack of accountability by the presiding Governments, all to justify their story.

While Crimea is celebrating five years of rejoining Russia, Zimbabwe is celebrating its 39th Independence anniversary, of which almost two decades have been under illegal sanctions.

It is important for the people of Crimea to be allowed to celebrate their reunion with Russia as they are enjoying the benefits of the marriage. Whether it makes US angry or not, let them do what they feel is good for their lives.

It is common cause that world democracy, good governance, human rights and accountability cannot only be defined through the eyes of the US and its allies. The world is not that small and the world cannot be run within the principles and aspersions of a clique that sees things the same.

Instead, divergence of views, different leadership styles, home-based solutions to governance and self-determination should be hallmarks of democracy. But what is important is to draw issues from Zimbabwe and Crimea. The US is not willing to remove sanctions until there is regime change in both countries.

In the case of Zimbabwe, whatever terminology or strategy is used, the US and its allies have set eyes on making the people of this country suffer and turn against the Government.

Zimbabwe will never be pronounced by the US to be democratic, well-governed, accountable and respectful of human rights until the MDC-Alliance, which they created, goes into power. The whole idea is regime change to put into place puppets that will give them express access to mineral resources. They are so silly that the think that progressive-thinking people in the world do not know their agenda.

In the case of Crimea, one does not need to think harder to know that its crime is rejoining Russia, a country's whose progressive policies and developments give US and its allies sleepless nights. Suffice to say Zimbabwe enjoys very cordial socio-political and economic relations with Russia. Just that relationship is to the US and its allies, a crime worthy punishment.

For Crimea, the reunion with Russia meant increasing Russia's influence and sphere at a time when the US and its allies wanted a total disintegration of Moscow.

When the people of Crimea decided that their lives would be bettered by rejoining Russia, then who is Uncle Sam to determine their destiny? If the people see the land reform as the best way to empower themselves, who is Uncle Sam to decide how the land in Zimbabwe should be parcelled out? Zimbabweans should choose their destiny.

Zimbabweans in their broad totality should focus on more developmental issues than the sanctions because no matter what we do, the US will not remove them until we serve their interests. But their interests are not our interests. Our needs are not their needs.

Let us work with those who want to work with us and leave the US to remove the sanctions when it feels like. Our life should go on. We have our minerals, our land and our little everything else. Let us work our prosperity around what we have. What is ours!