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Herald Reporter
MDC-Alliance yesterday celebrated resolutions by the European Union (EU) Parliament for the bloc to effect and strengthen sanctions on Zimbabwe, indicating that the party’s efforts to invite hostile interference had paid off.

The opposition and its civil society allies have been priming the West to punish Harare and snub re-engagement efforts by staging violent confrontations with authorities, notably on August 1 last year and between January 14 and 16 this year, which resulted in destruction and death.

The opposition and Western powers solely blame the authorities for using excessive force, while ignoring acts of violence and provocation by the opposition, including wanton destruction of property, looting, arson and attacks on Government installations.

As a tonic, the opposition, civil society organisations and private media have been peddling a false narrative that consisted of blaming Government for deaths of individuals, some of them non-existent.

And on Thursday night, the EU obliged by adopting hostile resolutions that would see the extension of sanctions on Zimbabwe.

This is despite the Southern African Development Community calling for the lifting of embargoes against Zimbabwe, noting that they have derailed development and caused untold suffering to citizens.

The EU heaped blame on the Zimbabwean State and parroted the position of MDC-Alliance and its partners.

Among key resolutions, the EU: “Call(ed) on the European Council to review its restrictive measures against individuals and entities in Zimbabwe, including those measures currently suspended, in the light of accountability for recent state violence.”

Further, the EU Parliament, “Instructs its President to forwards this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EEAS, the Government and Parliament of Zimbabwe, the governments of the South African Development Community (sic) and the African Union and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.”

The MDC-Alliance was impressed.

MDC Alliance spokesperson Mr Jacob Mafume said: “We therefore welcome the position taken by the EU Parliament on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. It is clear that the world is not buying the denial narrative of Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF.

“The EU correctly locates the State’s hand in the death of 17 people in January 2019 and 7 deaths of August 2018. The bloc correctly condemns the excessive use of force by members of the security forces and several other violations including rape, torture, abductions, and targeted arrested and mass trials. We welcome the EU’s recommendations which include among other issues, the points we raise around genuine dialogue.”

But analysts regretted the EU for using the MDC-Alliance’s legitimacy crusade argument to review illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Legal and security consultant Mr Tendai Toto said there was evidence of absolute and unrelenting interference in the domestic affairs of Zimbabwe by the EU.

“Individual member States of the EU or the EU must rely upon independent investigations that they can commission to establish truths before collectively condemning the Zimbabwe Government.

“A lot in the political sphere of Zimbabwe is happening with fingers pointing also at Western sponsored efforts to destabilize and derail Government efforts to straighten up things around politics and the economy.

“It can only make much sense if the EU and the Zimbabwe Government engage on these many issues raised by the EU in openness and honesty if either of these parties are to find common ground and lasting solutions to the ongoing accusations and counter accusations,” he said.

Another analyst Richard Mahomva chipped in saying: “An independent observer was bound to assume that the pretext of the writing of this report was a result of exchange of notes between the opposition and the EU.

“Also the report suggest a greater importation of the MDC-Alliance’s legitimacy crusade argument as well as freeing the political prisoners’ mantra.”

Sadc and other African countries want Zimbabwe sanctions removed.