Renowned constitutional lawyer Fadzayi Mahere has come out guns blazing against Econet Wireless Zimbabwe founder Strive Masiyiwa over his call for the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Britain and United States of America.
Mahere charged that government must honor its responsibilities including human rights before calling for sanctions removal.
Speaking in an interview CNBC Africa television station on Tuesday, Masiyiwa threw his weight behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying his administration deserves a chance while disapproving continued imposition of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe by the west.
Mahere who lost in the Mt Pleasant constituency parliamentary elections called on government to change its governance style and introduce sound policies before sanctions can be removed.
“More importantly, US laws aren’t changed by external opinions. Government must change the way it governs. Corruption and overspending must end. Sound policy must take over.
“Government must comply with ZIDERA’s requirements if they want that law repealed. Nothing else can change it.
“As Zimbabweans, we need to accept that the only Govt that has any lawful obligations towards us is our own. We can only hold our Govt to account. If we want sanctions lifted/foreign assistance, our Govt must play by their rules,” she said.
In the wake of post-election violence that saw at least six unarmed civilians gunned down in Harare by the military and government’s unpopular financial reforms early October which sent distortions in currency value in the market leaving prices of goods skyrocketing, Mahere described the developments as the greatest sanction the country is trapped in.
“Quite frankly, there are no greater sanctions than those that a government imposes on its own people. Bad governance, creating fake money to facilitate theft of value from our bank accounts, army killings, and irrational taxation – these are the sanctions the common man faces daily.
“The more reason business/the billionaires should lobby @edmnangagwa to do the needful to ensure those sanctions are lifted. But let’s not pretend “sanctions” are the cause of our problems. Our Govt sold diamonds in Europe. Nobody stopped them yet the $ remains unaccounted for,” she added.
The United States imposed economic sanctions against Zimbabwe on the back of gross human rights violations targeted at opposition supporters.
