Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere says the United States has no right to impose sanctions on another sovereign state as this is a violation of international law.
Speaking an interview with The Sunday Mail on Saturday, Muswere hit out at the U.S. for renewing sanctions against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and several high-ranking officials for alleged corruption and violation of human rights.
Muswere said Zimbabwe has enough democratic institutions to safeguard the country’s democracy such as the Zimbabwe Electoral Corruption and an independent Judiciary. He said:
Zimbabwe has embarked on an engagement and re-engagement agenda guided by principle that it is an enemy to none but friend to all.
Zimbabwe has enough democratic institutions to safeguard our democracy. The President has put in place mechanisms to support anti-corruption activities.
One, he declared zero tolerance on corruption; two, he put in place structures such as SACU (Special Anti-Corruption Unit); such as ZACC (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission).
He gave ZACC arresting powers. He capacitated Zimbabwe Republic Police, National Prosecuting Authority, and he has been at the forefront of ensuring that the Judicial Service Commission is resourced.
ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) is an independent institution that is fair.
The JSC is impartial and independent.
Muswere said politicial activists who have been jailed were common criminals and not political prisoners. He said:
Our history is that we fought for our democracy; we fought for one man, one vote.
The issue related to political persecution of political opponents is absolute nonsense given the reality that there is no known record of political persecution of any opposition politician in our country.
The US government should be able to separate political issues from common criminal issues, of which, in terms of our laws, no one above the law.
And anyone who is going to participate in illegal criminal activities will be arrested in terms of the laws of Zimbabwe.
On 04 March, the U.S. reviewed its targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe but maintained the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA).
ZDERA was enacted in response to the “fast-track land reform” in Zimbabwe in which the government reclaimed land previously taken by white colonists.
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