A GOVERNMENT minister loyal to President Robert Mugabe has accused the EU delegation that visited the country last weekend of trying to undermine Zimbabwe’s fragile powersharing deal, which was one-year old yesterday.
The delegation led by aid and development commissioner Karel De Gucht arrived in the capital Harare last Friday to begin what it described as a “new phase” in relations between the European Union and Zimbabwe.
However, after meeting the transitional government partners and assessing the obstacles blocking the full implementation of the deal, the EU stated it was too early to lift sanctions, which have been targeted at Mr Mugabe and his allies since 2002.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is prime minister, has accused Mr Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party of dragging its heels when it comes to implementing elements of the deal as a means of retaining the majority of power.
Zanu-PF says it has stayed true to the deal and instead accuses the MDC of reneging on promises to push Western governments to lift sanctions, which include travel bans to the EU and US as well as asset freezes, against more than 200 people and 40 companies.
“They [the EU] seem to want to undermine the inclusive government,” justice minister Chinamasa told the state-run Herald newspaper yesterday before accusing the delegation of showing a clear bias towards the MDC.
He added: “We appealed to them to lift economic sanctions. We do not want to continue to be a basket case where we are objects of charity and pity. We also appealed to them to move from humanitarian to development assistance.”
The normalisation of relations between Zimbabwe and the EU is crucial to the country’s economic recovery.
Once known as the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe now needs an estimated €6.85 billion in direct foreign aid to kickstart its shattered economy and the EU remains its largest donor, providing nearly €568 million in humanitarian aid 2002.
Meanwhile, the MDC party has said it will ask its supporters if they feel the Global Political Agreement is sustainable and worth continuing with given the difficulties the party was experiencing in implementing the deal’s remaining elements.
“The party shall consult and engage its structures and the people of Zimbabwe within a specified period to ascertain the sustainability and worthiness of the inclusive government as a vehicle for real change and democracy in Zimbabwe,” the MDC said in a statement.