The United States has placed on its sanctions list a former Zimbabwe National Army Presidential Guard commander and the country\u2019s ambassador designate to Tanzania, Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe who commanded troops accused of killing six civilians after a disputed election on August 1 last year.<\/p>\n
US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo publicly designated Sanyatwe under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
\nPrograms Appropriations Act (Div F, PL 116-6), due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights.<\/p>\n
The US also publicly designated his spouse Chido Machona.<\/p>\n
Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant
\ncorruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members were ineligible to enter the US.<\/p>\n
The law also requires the Department of State to publicly or privately designate such officials and immediate family members.<\/p>\n
Sanyatwe\u2019s listing signals US frustration over the lack of accountability in the killings in the capital, Harare.<\/p>\n
The ambassador-designate is the first to be sanctioned over the crackdown and the first official listed since the fall of long-time ex-ruler Robert Mugabe in
\nNovember 2017.<\/p>\n
Soldiers were deployed to suppress a protest against delays in announcing results of Zimbabwe\u2019s first election without Mugabe on the ballot.<\/p>\n
To date, Zimbabwe has not arrested the killer soldiers involved in the August 1, 2018 shootings. Furthermore, there has been no accountability for the
\nexcessive use of force by the army on civilians in January and February this year, which reportedly resulted in at least 17 deaths, thousands victims of
\nviolence, torture or rape, and over 1 000 arrests.<\/p>\n
The US urged the government to hold accountable those officials responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, US ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols also emphasised that it was \u201cequally troubling that Defence deputy minister and Zanu PF political commissar
\nVictor Matemadanda threatened to use soldiers \u2018trained to kill\u2019 against protesters only a few days ago\u201d.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said steps should be taken to bring to book soldiers who shot protesters last August.<\/p>\n
In a statement to commemorate the killing of six civilians by soldiers during post-election violence in Harare last year, Chamisa said it was sad that a year
\non, justice has not been delivered.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven the Motlanthe Commission, with all its limitations, found that the conduct of the State was unjustified and disproportionate,\u201d Chamisa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, those responsible have not been held to account. We must enforce measures to redress this grave injustice. What is disheartening is the plight of the
\nvictims who have received no reparation. Victims of orchestrated brutality must be compensated. Justice must be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six people were shot dead by the military on August 1 last year when soldiers stepped in to \u201crestore order\u201d following violent protests by opposition supporters
\nover what they described as electoral fraud by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.<\/p>\n
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, under international pressure, appointed a commission of enquiry into the killings led by former South African President Kgalema
\nMotlanthe which recommended that the killer solders should be made accountable. However, a year on, no one has been arrested in connection with the killings.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the departure of Mr Mugabe, nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. The old cannot renew. The past cannot be the future. The past cannot be renovated. In
\nshort, it is now clear for all to see that, concerning the style of leadership; those in the State have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing,\u201d Chamisa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe August 1 fallen citizens were victims of a system which devours its own children. The brutality is fuelled by a long-standing culture of impunity. If the
\nnation had punished perpetrators, there would be no incentive to commit violence in the name of power and politics.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Zimbabwean political activist based in the United Kingdom, Netsai Makarichi also called on Mnangagwa to deal with the rogue soldiers.<\/p>\n
She told NewsDay that the Mnangagwa administration had failed the nation by not bringing to book the August 1, 2018 culprits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe President is unmoved by the incident. For how long can we guess that action against the killer soldiers will be taken?\u201d she asked. Makarichi said
\nMnangagwa\u2019s inaction showed insincerity about the affected families and Zimbabweans at large.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis silence on such a pertinent issue resembles dishonesty to the families who lost their beloved ones as well as Zimbabweans in general. Regrettably, the
\nMotlanthe commission of inquiry was a fa\u00e7ade as its recommendations remain on paper,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is surprising that Zanu PF is more concerned about the attack on (Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso) SB Moyo here (in London), but forgetting about the
\ninnocent civilians who lost their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said Mnangagwa \u201cmust resign because he has failed the victims and the nation\u201d, adding justice must be served by arresting the August 1 killer soldiers.<\/p>\n
Additional reporting by Everson Mushava and Garikai Tunhira<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The United States has placed on its sanctions list a former Zimbabwe National Army Presidential Guard commander and the country\u2019s ambassador designate to Tanzania, Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe who commanded troops accused of killing six civilians after a disputed election on August 1 last year. US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo publicly designated Sanyatwe under Section […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":11891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[38,113,134,120,419],"class_list":{"0":"post-11890","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-parties","9":"tag-zanu-pf","10":"tag-chamisa","11":"tag-human-right","12":"tag-parties","13":"tag-us"},"yoast_head":"\n