Zimbabwe IMF voting rights – Letter to US President Barack Obama
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...By NASSAR RUSIKE
Published: January 25, 2010
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The President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
24 January, 2010
Dear President, Barack Obama,
Ref: Zimbabwe economic sanctions.
I wish to congratulate you on the first anniversary of your historic election as President of the United States of America.
I write to you as a concerned citizen of Zimbabwe and wish to share my concerns and those of millions other Zimbabweans who are not in a position to do so.
According to an article published on the Zimdaily website www.zimdaily.com on Wednesday 20, January 2010, the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr. Charles Ray, stated that Washington will support a motion to restore Zimbabwe’s voting rights in the International Monetary Fund when the board of the multilateral lending institution next meets.
Mr. President, the Zimbabwe government of national unity must not be given such a right because Zanu PF members within the government of national unity have denied Zimbabwean citizens of their democratic right to elect a leader of their choice during the June 2008, Zimbabwe Presidential run off elections. Furthermore, we are also being denied our basic human rights such as the freedom of speech, political association without duress and impartial application of the law.
Zimbabwe’s political leaders must not be awarded rights which they deny their own citizens. For too long the majority of Zanu PF’s political leaders have abused their political power and their citizen’s rights with no consequences for their actions. It is the lack of any consequences that has allowed them to be more repressive and continue to violate the rights while destroying the hope of so many Zimbabwean citizens.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR Annual Report on Human Rights 2008 – Zimbabwe; under operation, who did you vote for? Members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) suffered a campaign of systematic violence and torture, which also targeted members of civil society and ordinary people. Since March 2008 more than 5,000 were victims of violence, at least 36,000 displaced, of which 17,000 were verified by the International Organization for Migration and 190 politically motivated deaths were verified. The violence was perpetrated by state agents, often militia or so-called ‘war veterans.’
The operation targeted members of the MDC who had voted against Mr. Mugabe during the Zimbabwe March 2008, Presidential elections. The violent attacks were to ensure that members of the MDC voted for Mr. Mugabe during the June 2008, Zimbabwe Presidential run off elections. The state agents and militia used to unleash the unbridled violence are controlled by Mr. Mugabe and Zanu PF.
An estimated three million Zimbabweans are now scattered across the world in countries that have accorded us basic human rights, hope and confidence in the rule of law which we have been long denied by the Zanu PF leadership. Our faith in the democratic process has been shattered due to the violence that was orchestrated by Mr. Mugabe with the aid of the army and Zanu PF militia during the June 2008, Zimbabwe Presidential run off elections. Furthermore, we were forced to share our electoral victory with Mr. Mugabe who lost the same election and refused to give up power. We are now appealing to you as the President of the United States of America to help in ensuring that justice is delivered.
As the focus on political issues and human rights violations in Zimbabwe shifts to economics, victims of the political violence are slowly beginning to be forgotten. We may never see those responsible for torturing, raping and murdering members of the MDC being brought before the courts of law. To date no high ranking Zanu PF official has been arrested for these heinous crimes against fellow citizens. Instead, political activists continue to be persecuted in an attempt by Zanu PF to silence those who dare to speak up pointing out the injustice and skewed political views of Mr. Robert Mugabe.
Refugee camps in neighboring Botswana and South Africa have increased in the number of Zimbabweans who have fled from physical torture, political persecution for supporting the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and starvation which the regime of President Robert Mugabe has long denied. Sadly those refugees have witnessed violent attacks from the South Africans who view them as a threat to their livelihood. The horrific acts of violence inflicted upon Zimbabweans in South Africa include being burned alive, bodily mutilations and death. These acts of violence continue to be inflicted on defenseless human beings who are fleeing from Zanu PF leaders who have persecuted them for exercising their democratic rights. The same Zanu PF cronies who have denied their own citizens their rights to vote may be given voting rights in the international monetary fund under the disguise of the government of national unity (GNU). Where is the justice, Mr. President?
There are renewed violent farm invasions despite calls by the Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Morgan Tsvangirai, for the invasions to cease and the formation of an inclusive government. Furthermore, government officials and family members of the ruling elite are the main beneficiaries of the redistributed land that was intended for the landless citizens. To date the Mugabe family has fraudulently amassed 20, 861 hectares of prime land while the majority of ordinary citizens have no land.
Almost a year after the formation of the government of national unity at least 21 political detainees from the MDC are still imprisoned in Zimbabwe’s deplorable prisons. An estimated 31 abductions and prolonged detentions of both MDC activists and human rights defenders have occurred from October 2008 to October 2009. While most of the high profile detainees have been released there is concern for activists who are not high public profiles and have been forgotten.
The farm invasions are still occurring and government officials are at the center of the intimidations and are urging the militia to use violence on those who refuse to vacate their farms. The most recent land invasions occurred this January 2010, in Rusape and were led by Didymus Mutasa, the Minister of State in Mr. Mugabe’s office. It is estimated that the minister has already acquired ten farms in the same area while the majority of Zimbabwe’s citizens remain landless.
Mr. President, I urge you to withstand any request to award voting rights to Zimbabwe’s government of national unity (GNU) and not to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. The conditions for the lifting of economic sanctions were made clear by the United States government under the ZIDERA ACT in 2001 and they are not unreasonable. Those conditions have not been satisfied and sadly there are those within the Zimbabwe government of national unity who are prematurely requesting for the economic sanctions to be removed on the grounds that the government should be rewarded for mostly superficial progress it has made since forming the government of national unity. Furthermore, the economic sanctions are being blamed for Zimbabwe’s weak economy. It is true that our economy is weak, but it is for the most part due to the greed and irresponsibility of Zanu PF leaders.
Mr. President, Zimbabwe as a nation is at a crossroad and we urge you to stand in solidarity with the citizens of Zimbabwe and not the politicians who have transformed themselves into master looters of Zimbabwe’s wealth and are now eagerly awaiting the coffers of the IMF to hand out billions of dollars that will be misappropriated in an effort to satisfy their own greed.
Mr. President, we ask you not to be an enabler of tyranny, but a defender of democracy and fend off those who preach hatred and violence. Zanu PF leaders, despite an opportunity to work towards peace and unity through the GNU, are bent on clinging to power through corruption, deceit, the silencing of dissent and are unwilling to unclench their fists. We must embark on a new age and era that supports those who are on the right and not the wrong side of history. The Zanu PF’s leadership decided a year ago not to heed your counsel during your inauguration speech.
Tyrants must not be accorded the rewards of democracy while they deny their own citizens the same rights. There must be no collective failure from the West to make hard choices. Instead, the message must be loud, clear and that it is no longer business as usual.
It is time that Zanu PF’s leaders and members of the GNU lived up to the true principles of democracy because it is their solemn duty and not in anticipation of monetary rewards from the West.
Enclosed is a power point presentation of victims who were tortured and murdered during the June 2008, Zimbabwe Presidential run off elections.
May you take the time to view the presentation and may your decision speak for the victims.
Sincerely,
Nassar M. Rusike.
Cc: The Honorable Hillary Clinton-Secretary of State
The Chairperson-Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The Chairperson-Congressional Black Caucus