HARARE, ZIMBABWE – Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party is reacting angrily to a new visa restriction policy announced this week by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken aimed at people accused of undermining democracy in the southern African nation. The opposition is blaming the United States for the latest move.
Lawrence Socha, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Harare, told VOA the new visa restriction policy would affect individuals believed to be responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy.
He said this could include manipulating or rigging the electoral process, disenfranchising voters, restricting the work of civil society organisations or intimidating voters.
“Such acts may also include engaging in corruption, including bribery, that undermines the electoral process, interfering with the independent functioning of the judiciary, or abusing or violating human rights in Zimbabwe,” Socha said. “The visa restriction policy will apply to specific individuals involved in these actions, and is not directed at the people of Zimbabwe. The United States supports Zimbabwe’s efforts to hold free and fair elections that reflect the will of the people and strengthen democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights.”
Zimbabwe’s August parliamentary elections were marred by delays and shortages of materials in opposition strongholds. Many observer missions – including those from the Southern African Development Community – said the process fell far short of the requirements of the country’s electoral laws and the regional bloc’s guidelines.
Jonathan Moyo, a former government minister in Zimbabwe, says the new restrictions are designed to get citizens to revolt against their government after the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001, known as ZIDERA, failed to do so. Then US President George W Bush signed the measure into law, which aimed to promote economic growth and the rule of law.
“An objective empirical assessment of this latest measure is really first and foremost an admission that ZIDERA has failed, that the Americans have become hopeless, the Americans, the meaning of the American government, have become jittery and they are now resorting to legal instruments that were there in 2001 but now they think they can achieve what they couldn’t achieve through ZIDERA,” says Moyo.
Farai Muroiwa Marapira, a ZANU-PF spokesman, agreed with Moyo.
“As ZANU-PF, we are not surprised by this new activity by the American government. We all know their intention to change the government,” said Marapira. “And after all their machinations failed in August, some tantrums were expected and this is what is happening. We remain unperturbed and resolute. We adhere to the wise words of our President, President ED Mnangagwa. We are an enemy to no one and a friend to all and our doors are open.
Moyo says he doubts the new US visa restrictions will have any impact.
But Promise Mkwananzi, spokesman for the country’s main opposition party, the Movement for Change, is more hopeful.
“We note the action taken by the Americans against the authors and sponsors of chaos, illegality and illegitimacy in Zimbabwe,” said Mkwananzi. “I think it is important that not only the American government but also other governments, regional bodies like SADC and others ensure that they put some disincentives on people who would want to undermine the will of the Zimbabwean people and disrespect the voice of the Zimbabwean people, including of course those who are not in ZANU-PF but who are complicit with the regime in undermining the wishes and the will of the Zimbabwean people.”
The opposition says it is still hopeful that regional body SADC will call for fresh elections following the chaos that characterised Zimbabwe’s August polls.
