Staff Reporter
The Zambian Ambassador, Derick Livune has denounced the double standards being exhibited by the West on Zimbabwe.
A source informed this publication that, in a recent meeting with a top official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (MOFAIT), Ambassador Livune denounced the double standards exhibited by the West on Zimbabwe after they had set three conditions for the debt clearance..
“In the short time Ambassador Livune has stayed in Zimbabwe, he has detested the double standards shown by the West after they gave three conditions for debt clearance. Western countries are of the opinion that Zimbabwe should hold free and fair elections, compensate white farmers and have security sector reforms," said the source.
The same source further revealed that Ambassador Livune argued that the West should not set stringent conditions for the clearance of Zimbabwe’s international debt because the country was a free, peaceful and a sovereign state.
"Ambassador Livune is of the view that Zimbabwe is a free, peaceful and open society which is different from what the West portrays. Such conditions were unique to Zimbabwe and infringe on the country's sovereignty," said the source.
Political analyst, Linda Mabeka further denounced the conditions set for debt clearance pointing out that Zimbabwe had been holding free and fair elections and was making efforts to compensate former white farmers.
"Zimbabwe has been holding free and fair elections for a long time. It is Zimbabwe that can actually lecture the Western countries about democracy because these Western countries only endorse elections as free and fair if they are in favour of the opposition. As for security sector reforms, the Second Republic has scrapped away the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).
"The Second Republic recently announced that it was going to compensate white farmers over a period of ten years instead of the twenty years announcеd in 2020. This shows that the Government is committed to honouring its promises," said Mabeka.
Meanwhile, SADC member states have emphasized on the unconditional lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe which would help in the debt clearance.
