US policy towards Zimbabwe: Time for Change

Since the formation of the Inclusive Government on February 13, Zimbabwe is in a fragile transition towards democracy and economic recovery following a decade of repression and astronomical economic collapse. The success or failure of this transition depends as much on internal actors as it does on the support of the regional and international community. It is clear that should Zimbabwe’s transitional government prematurely break down, the country is set for not only an unprecedented political and economic crisis but also serious social conflict that can lead to an intractable failed state situation and region-wide destabilization.

The present U.S. policy towards Zimbabwe is based on a sanctions regime, officially described as ‘targeted’ but whose impact is clearly widespread and severely limits the capacity of the Inclusive Government to stabilize the country. This compounds the pressing crisis facing the people of Zimbabwe. Continuing with these sanctions is a sure way to doom the Inclusive Government and will only strengthen the hand of hardliners in Mugabe’s Zanu PF who are working to undermine the Inclusive Government. On the other hand, if the Inclusive Government delivers tangible change in people’s lives this will strengthen democrats and moderates across political parties.

The Obama administration has an opportunity to steer U.S. policy out of the Bush era cul-de-sac of personalized obsession with Mugabe as the individual and uncritical support for the opposition to a more responsible policy based on the core values of democracy, respect for human rights, good governance and equity. Rather than a fixation with maneuvering one party or the other into or out of power, U.S. policy must be based on promoting the institutionalization of these core values and the opening up of space to allow for a vibrant democracy based on free political competition. History has shown everywhere that individuals are not the answer, as they can easily be corrupted in the absence of strong democratic institutions.

In Zimbabwe, the focus must be on ensuring that at the end of the transition period in two years, Zimbabwe has robust democratic institutions, in particular an independent judiciary, an independent electoral commission, a free press, a vibrant civil society, a democratic constitution and professional security forces, to ensure not only free and fair elections, but also the unhindered transfer of power to the winners.

While the U.S.’s humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe over the years is commendable, this must be stepped up in the short term to reflect the pressing need in Zimbabwe. This aid must be expanded to the ‘humanitarian plus’ level to include support in resuscitating healthcare, education and food security. At the same time aid must be understood as a short-term measure and attention needs to be paid to long-term sustainability. The U.S. can help Zimbabwe get on a solid path to development by adopting fair trade policies, extending debt cancellation and ending harmful economic structural adjustment programs imposed through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

It is in light of the obvious need to shift policy towards Zimbabwe that statements attributed to Jonnie Carson, assistant secretary of State for Africa, as quoted by Reuters on Monday, June 9, are worrying. Carson is quoted as saying there will not be any change in U.S. policy towards Zimbabwe. We hope the Obama administration will seize the opportunity of Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s visit to Washington DC to engage in an open-minded discussion on a new approach in Zimbabwe that includes the voices of Zimbabwe civil society.