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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
THE United States has been rapped for duplicity for claiming that it had imposed ‘’targeted sanctions’’ on Zimbabwe when it recently imposed a blanket embargo on medicines destined for Harare, a move that has an adverse effect on ordinary people.Zimbabweans who spoke to The Herald yesterday described the sanctions on Zimbabwe-bound medicines as not only inhuman but inconsistent with Washington’s claim that its sanctions regime was targeted.

This comes after the US endorsed “final rule” stringent measures that would see the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) intercepting funds and goods such as medicines destined for Harare.

Ofac has been intercepting revenue accruing to cash-strapped Zimbabwean companies that are estimated to have lost over US$30 million to the US government’s piracy.
International donations in the form of humanitarian aid, food, clothing, goods or money will not be spared under measures introduced on July 10.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs Cde Enock Porusingazi said the tightening of the illegal sanctions by the US was a confirmation of Zimbabwe’s long-held view that the ruinous embargo was all-encompassing.

“The sanctions are targeted at destroying the entire population regardless of one’s political affiliation,” he said.

“Medical drugs are for everyone. The measures are a clear demonstration that sanctions are not targeted as what they claim. “They want to make sure Zimbabweans suffer,” he said.

“The US is cruel.”

Mrs Maidei Mukambirwa from Highfield said the US was exposing itself for lack of sincerity.

“It is quite strange that the US would want us to believe that their illegal sanctions are targeted when it is clear for everyone who cares to see that it is not true,” she said. “Is imposition of sanctions on medicines and humanitarian aid consistent with targeted measures?”

Mr Hardlife Sibanda from Glen Norah urged Sadc and the African Union not to take the US seriously.

“This is no longer a political issue, but a social issue because it touches the core of our survival,” he said.

“Everyone needs medicine when not feeling well and anyone who threatens that right is not acting within the confines of common sense. It is an infringement on human rights which the US so often preaches about.”

Other Zimbabweans accused the US of hypocrisy for tightening the sanctions regime when it had earlier indicated that it would review the embargo in the wake of the adoption of the new Constitution after a highly subscribed referendum last year.

University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Dr Charity Manyeruke accused the US of lacking sincerity.

“The US has shown that it is geared to force illegal regime change in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Manyeruke.

“They will never be satisfied. What they want is to destroy the country.”

Political analyst Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said: “Zimbabwe should not be fooled because regime change has failed to work and the US and its allies will not give up. Their interest is on land and minerals. They will do everything to reverse the gains of the land reform and that of the liberation struggle.”

US ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Bruce Wharton had not responded to questions sent to his office by the time of going to press last night.

But Mr Wharton sought to play down the effect of the measures on Sunday while responding to a statement in The Sunday Mail.

“I am afraid The Sunday Mail has misread or misunderstood the United States’ position on humanitarian food aid and health services offered to Zimbabwe,” he said in a statement he posted on his Facebook wall.