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CAPITOL HILL, Washington DC—The United States Senate sub-committee on African Affairs on Thursday night approved the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act 2001 which slaps travel restrictions on President Mugabe, his ministers, service chiefs and their families.
The bill, which was first introduced into the Senate last year, went through two readings in the Senate before being referred to the foreign relations committee. The committee approved the bill on Thursday, paving way for the proposed law to sail unopposed through the House of Representatives.
The bill will restrict President Mugabe, his immediate family, his cabinet ministers, government officials and the Zanu PF henchman implicated in political violence, from travelling to the United States.
The American government and all institutions with American links will also be barred from dealing with the Zimbabwean government. It will also stop aid and bilateral trade worth millions of United States dollars, dealing a body blow to the already ailing Zimbabwean economy.
Pre-requisites for restoring normal relations include: “The restoration of the rule of law, respect for ownership and title to property, freedom of speech and association, an end to lawlessness, violence, and intimidation which is sponsored, condoned, or tolerated by the Government of Zimbabwe, the ruling party and their supporters or entities.”
Reads part of the bill: “It is the policy of the United States to support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful, democratic change, achieve broad-based and equitable economic growth, and restore the rule of law.
“It is the sense of Congress that the (American) President should begin immediate consultation with the governments of European Union member states, Canada, and other appropriate foreign countries, on ways in which to identify and share information regarding individuals responsible for the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence, and intimidation in Zimbabwe; to identify the assets of those individuals which are held outside Zimbabwe; implement travel and economic restrictions against those individuals and their associates and families and provide for the eventual removal or amendment of those sanctions.”
United States senator, Bill Frist, who introduced the bill told The Standard in Washington on Friday that the bill sought to restore economic prosperity and good governance in Zimbabwe.
“The crisis in Zimbabwe raises the possibility of a complete collapse of economic and social cohesion in a country which has historically served as a stable and promising anchor on a troubled continent.
“If we allow Zimbabwe to continue down its current path, we risk further instability in Southern Africa. This legislation represents an immediate, positive response that the United States can take to improve stability and economic growth for the entire region,” said Frist.
Senator Russ Fiengold, who seconded the bill said: “I am pleased to join Senator Frist in offering the Zimbabwe Democracy Act, and I hope that it will win support in the full Senate.
“The senate sub-committee on African Affairs recently held a hearing on the situation in Zimbabwe, and much of the testimony given at that hearing was truly distressing. Over the past year and half, conditions in Zimbabwe have deteriorated dramatically. This downward spiral of lawlessness and economic collapse is tragic as it is occurring in a remarkable country, one that is rich in human capital, had a sophisticated economy and boasts a vibrant civil society.
“This bill imposes no sanctions and cuts off no sources of assistance that have not already been suspended. It does lay out reasonable conditions for the resumption of assistance and authorises meaningful conditions for assistance to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery, including support for rule-governed land reform, once conditions have improved.”
The bill notes that the Zimbabwean people are suffering because of the government's mismanagement of the eco-nomy: “Through economic mismanagement, undemocratic practices, and the costly deployment of troops to the DRC, the Government of Zimbabwe has rendered itself ineligible to participate in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Monetary Fund programmes, which would otherwise be providing substantial resources to assist in the recovery and modernisation of Zimbabwe’s economy.
“The people of Zimbabwe have been denied the economic and democratic benefits envisioned by the donors of such programmes, including the United States.”
The proposed law sets a number of measures to be taken by the US government should Zimbabwe meet conditions such as the holding of free and fair presidential elections, an equitable, transparent and legal land reform, restoration of the rule of law, a fulfilment of the Lusaka Peace Accord to end the DRC war, and a commitment that the police and army be subordinate to a civilian government.
Once these conditions are met, the bill states: The (American) secretary of the treasury shall:
• Undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by any agency of the United States of America.
• Direct the United States director of each international financial institution to which the United States is a member, to propose to undertake financial and technical support for Zimbabwe, especially support that is intended to promote Zimbabwe's economic recovery and development, the stabilisation of the Zimbabwe dollar, and the viability of Zimbabwe’s democratic institutions.
• The (American) President should direct the establishment of a Southern Africa Finance Centre located in Zimbabwe that will include regional offices of the Overseas Private Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Trade and Development Agency, for the purpose of facilitating the development of commercial projects in Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa region.
The bill also states the US government’s commitment to supporting Zimbabwe's land reform programme in the context of the International Donors’ Conference held in Harare in 1998.
At the conference, Zimbabwe undertook to carry out land reform in a transparent and legal manner. However, after last year's general election which Zanu PF narrowly won, government reneged on its promise, when it unleashed war veterans onto farms. The invasions set the tone for a chaotic land reform programme which has reduced Zimbabwe to Africa's basket case.
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The committee approved the bill on Thursday, paving way for the proposed law to sail unopposed through the House of Representatives.
I can't believe this got past the Black Caucus unopposed. I thought our "developing" nations were never to be criticized.
Mugabe's not going to like this. Think he will (or his "War Veterans") be hunting up some Peace Corps workers to hold as hostages, for revenge?
Ooooh....that will teach him. < /sarcasm>
Good move.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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