By Gift Mashoko

The USA has come under attack for meddling in Zimbabwean politics, the Harare Post has learnt.

Writing on its twitter handle, the USA said, “Harassment and targeted arrests of civil society leaders damage Zimbabwe’s reputation & economic future.  We call on the Zimbabwean government to uphold its constitution, protect human rights, and foster an environment where all can contribute to the nation’s progress.”

The USA has been all over Zimbabwe for reasons best known to itself, calling for Zimbabwean Government to look into its laws. This has not been received well by Zimbabweans. The USA placed sanctions upon Zimbabwe which SADC is fighting for their removal.

Netizens told the USA to stay away from Zimbabwe as it is the cause for the many wars in the world through its meddling foreign policy.

Sharon Marindah @SMarindah twitted, “Zimbabwe is a Constitutional country and it will have to stand on its own for its legal part, as each country has to do.”

Eng Trust.T.G. @trustafa also twitted saying, “Did Zimbabwe kill innocent civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Did Zimbabwe commit unspeakable human atrocities in Iraq? Did Zimbabwe invade Libya in quest for cheap oil in the name of democracy? America has no moral right to lecture us on human rights! Better sit down!”

Relatedly, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax had a meeting with The Charge d ‘Affairs of the Embassy of the United States of America in Botswana Ms. Kali Jones, where Dr Tax reiterated SADC’s call for the USA to lift socio - economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Dr Tax said this will deny Zimbabwe access to finance from Multilateral Financial Institutions and Private Financed Institutions and Capital Markets to support the country’s development agenda. Dr Tax added that the economic sanctions have led to limited private sector investment into the country.

Responding to this, Rukudzo2017 @rukudzo2017 tweeted, “Many thanks Dr, do not be distracted by some amongst us who are tools meant to be an albatross around Zimbabwe's neck. Stand with the ordinary Zimbabweans who have suffered from sanctions being supported by those who say blah blah rule of law etc.”

Those that completely deny the impact of US sanctions are dishonest because the US is after the Zimbabwean leadership whom they want to control.