Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday boasted to the United Nations General Assembly that under his leadership, Zimbabwe had consolidated “democracy, constitutionalism, good governance and the rule of law”, adding that Zimbabwe and all other He called for the lifting of ongoing Western sanctions against the country. He submitted to them.
Few international observers would agree with Mnagwa’s portrayal of Zimbabwe as a bastion of honest and representative government.Mnagwa government arrested Dozens of observers assigned to the August 2023 election are suspected of leaking election results in advance.
The other person yelled, I complain Allegations of “blatant and massive fraud” including voter suppression and voter fraud. International human rights groups described an atmosphere of “intimidation” against opponents of the ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been in power uninterrupted for 43 years.
Regarding the Zimbabwean economy, the World Bank rated Consistently below levels that would have been possible with abundant natural resources and superior human capital, this is not primarily due to sanctions, but rather to “price and exchange instability, misallocation of productive resources, This is due to a high degree of informality, low investment, and limited resources. It’s a structural change. ”
“High inflation, multiple exchange rates, and unsustainable debt levels raise production costs, reduce incentives for productivity-enhancing investments, and foster informality,” the World Bank argues. are doing.
Sanctions have been imposed against Zimbabwe for interference in democratic processes and human rights violations. In December 2022, the U.S. Treasury will imposed For these reasons, it imposed additional sanctions on individuals and entities, stressing that the measures “do not target the people of Zimbabwe, the country of Zimbabwe or the Zimbabwean banking sector.”
The Ministry of Finance urged the Mnangagwa government to “take meaningful steps towards the creation of a peaceful, prosperous and politically vibrant Zimbabwe, and to ensure that Zimbabwe “We called for addressing the root causes of many of the country’s ills.”
Prime Minister Mnangagwa ignored all of these analyzes and criticisms, blaming sanctions for holding back Zimbabwe from achieving its Sustainable Development Goals.
“Zimbabwe has been subject to illegal and unilateral economic sanctions by some Western countries for 23 years. These sanctions are aimed at suppressing the sovereign will of the Zimbabwean people,” he said. declared.
“We therefore demand the unconditional lifting of unjust unilateral sanctions, including those imposed on countries like Cuba. We stand by the support and solidarity of progressive countries in the community of nations. I remain grateful,” he said, seemingly forgetting that he came to power after overthrowing his former patron and employer, longtime autocrat Robert Mugabe.
Moving away from complaining about sanctions, Mnangagwa touted Zimbabwe’s “unprecedented development and economic success,” which in the past three years had made it the “fastest growing country in southern Africa.” It has become a “economic economy”.
“Furthermore, Zimbabwe prioritizes eradicating poverty and improving the quality of life of its people, especially those in rural areas. By empowering and building the capacity of communities and smallholder farmers, we are improving both the household and national levels. “We were able to achieve food and nutrition security in the country,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s agriculture has improved in recent years, partly due to government policies. retorted White farmers whose land was confiscated under Mugabe were promised a 99-year farm lease. Mnangagwa also made it easier for young Zimbabweans to run their own small farms, an opportunity seized by young people who could not find employment elsewhere.
Mr Mnangagwa has avoided a somewhat tacky image, recognizing that young professionals with degrees have the best chance of earning a good living by collecting government subsidies and growing potatoes. He boasted of investments in Zimbabwe’s “science, technology and innovation”, including programs to “refocus young people in our tertiary institutions on the development and production of goods and services”.
Prime Minister Mnangagwa spoke at length about climate change and expressed condolences to Morocco and Libya for “the recent loss of life due to the devastating effects of climate change”; had nothing to do with it.
Morocco suffered earthquakeMeanwhile, Libya endured With a dysfunctional government, early weather warnings were ignored and dams that had not been maintained for years burst, resulting in floods that killed thousands.
Mnangagwa knew that climate change would have a major impact on the United Nations, so he put his foot on the gas.
Strengthening adaptation, resilience and mitigation mechanisms requires concrete climate action, not just promises. We must transition to a low-carbon and resilient global economy by increasing investment in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and green infrastructure.
To achieve climate justice, the commitments made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement must be respected. I look forward to progress in the operation of the Loss and Damage Fund.
Zimbabwe continues to strengthen disaster management and early warning systems, while implementing climate change policies and response strategies.
Mr. Mnangagwa called on the international financial system to increase stimulus spending to developing countries, expand lending, and “take measures such as debt cancellation and restructuring to stimulate economic growth and build resilience in developing countries.” They had a number of demands, including “use of the facility.”
“We strongly condemn the tendency of some powerful countries to covertly finance conflicts and unconstitutional regime change for their own narrow interests, while preaching peace, human rights and democracy.” Ta.
“We further condemn the use of unilateral and illegal sanctions as a foreign policy tool at the disposal of some great powers, such as those imposed on countries such as Zimbabwe and Cuba. They undermine the trust, global solidarity and multilateralism we all desire,” he added, reiterating his call for an end to Western human rights sanctions.
