Southern South African Development Community, alongside the December 12th Movement, marched during “A Day of Action” to launch a campaign to lift illegal sanctions forced on Zimbabwe by the United States and European Union.
Sanctions have been imposed on Zimbabwe for more than two decades, favoring white farmers and their demands, but ignoring the rights of Black Zimbabweans on their own motherland to possess what is rightfully theirs. “…[T]he United States, almost two decades ago unilaterally imposed heinous and unjustified sanctions on Zimbabwe in support of their brothers and sisters, the white farmers, following the revolutionary decision by our leadership to redistribute land equitably to its rightful owners, the majority Black Zimbabweans, who had been consigned to infertile and barren land by the colonial masters,” stated Petronellar Nyagura, H.E ambassador, permanent representative of the Republic of Zimbabwe to U.N. in New York.
Fighting alongside Africans in the diaspora to demand the lifting of illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe are the African countries; Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Kingdom of Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia-Zimbabwe.
Addressed in Nyagura’s statements on the sanctions is the financial burdens and non-financial support of Zimbabwe, cutting the country off from having access to international credit lines, which directly affects their currency. “The coercive measures under Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZIDERA) effectively bar American companies from investing in Zimbabwe,” says Nyagura. “As well as direct U.S. nationals on the management boards of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other multilateral financial institutions to vote against any financial support to Zimbabwe.”
During the late Robert Mugabe’s presidency, he pushed at the will of the people of Zimbabwe to take back their land. “It is the people that were saying ‘we are economically poor, landless,’ and the whites own the majority of the land in our country and that is not fair,” explained Nayo Simmons, one of the strong voices fighting for the human rights of Zimbabwe alongside December 12th Movement. Their meetings at Sista’s Place are always held discussing the issues of Zimbabwe and actively taking action to dismantle the sanctions.
“We have to learn about what’s going on in the world and we have to keep the pressure on and continue to resist oppression, anyone or any people telling us that we’re not worthy to have our own self determination and to keep our own land,” says Simmons. “Land is the basis of all wealth. Everything comes from land. Our food, our clothing, our shelter, medicine, everything. They know how important that is and that’s why they want to control it.”
AFRICAN LEADERS AND RUSSIANS SIGN NUCLEAR DEALS IN A ‘WINNING WEEK’ FOR PUTIN
(GIN)—Taking advantage of the Russia-Africa summit and the presence of dozens of African leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin advanced his goal of expanding Moscow’s geopolitical clout.
At the two-day summit in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, the Russian president resurrected old bonds forged by the Soviet Union with the result that arms shipments are now flowing from Moscow to Algeria to Mozambique. Consultants are assisting embattled strongmen with election strategies and development plans for natural resource projects.
As the summit opened, Russia landed two nuclear-capable bombers in South Africa on a training mission. The two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers touched down at Waterkloof air force base in Tshwane, the South African National Defense Force confirmed.
Praising what it said were strong diplomatic links between the countries, the South African body added: “Our relations are not solely built on ‘struggle politics,’ but rather on fostering mutually beneficial partnerships based on common interests.”
Rwanda is the latest African country to sign a nuclear deal with the Russian state atomic company Rosatom.
The deals between Russia and several African countries have raised concerns among environmentalists who say nuclear energy is not always clean and does not come free.
“Rosatom is prepared to help our African partners in creating a nuclear industry,” Putin declared, with “the construction of research centers based on multifunctional reactors.”
The nuclear pacts come despite an African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty—also called the Pelindaba Treaty—that obligates Parties not to develop, manufacture, acquire, or possess any nuclear explosive device. Parties may engage in peaceful nuclear activities but must conclude safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Opened for signature in 1996, it came into force in 2009 with 40 countries signing on.
Other new military deals include Nigeria which will receive 12 Russian-made Mi-35 attack helicopters, according to the RIA Russian news agency.
Rosatom is also in talks with Ethiopia to build a nuclear power station there, Interfax quoted the Russian company as saying.
Putin has called for trade with African countries to double over the next four to five years, adding Moscow had written off over $20 billion in African debts.
Michael Gatari, the head of nuclear science and technology at the University of Nairobi, said African countries can pursue nuclear technology but must get their own people to manage the nuclear reactors.
Russia was seeking business in Africa, not giving away gifts, he observed.
“Africa is not going to get a free reactor… They’re selling their technology… Of course, there is a component of ‘we will train your people, we’ll do this,’ but if you calculate the cost, it’s we who cough. So the African countries should move into it with a business vision.”