The Herald, the state-owned Zimbabwean newspaper, has published an opinion piece titled “US, opposition collusion: Zim deserves better.”
BBC
In the article, the paper says that historically Zimbabwe fought hard for its “electoral democracy” while the US “circumvented UN sanctions to buy Rhodesian [the former name for Zimbabwe] chrome.”
The paper continues: “We are a proud people with a revered history of stolid, defiant protest to all forms of domination which is why even after close to two decades of an illegal economic sanctions regime, our people have not [caved] in and continue giving Westerners and their surrogates in opposition politics, the cold shoulder at the polls.”
The article also attacks the US for not lifting sanctions on Zimbabwe, following France’s decision to “advocate the complete removal of the EU economic sanctions regime.”
The Herald says that demands made by the US as a precondition for re-engagement mirror those made by Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change – implying that the US is siding with the opposition, which the paper calls a “puppet”.
Earlier this month, the US extended sanctions against Zimbabwe as other Western countries indicate a willingness to engage with the new government.
The country is also gearing up for elections which must be held before August 2018.
