WHILE the recent signing by US President Donald Trump of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act (ZDERAA) means the continuation of economic sanctions, this should not in any way dampen the new dispensation’s endeavour to transform the country into a middle-income economy by 2030.
We know US sanctions are intended to make the lives of ordinary citizens harsh and unbearable.
We know that the ultimate goal is to force the discontented masses to rise and rebel against their own Government.
We are also aware of the tragic paradox that the Americans were invited by non-other than fellow Zimbabweans to impose these sanctions.
And with the Americans, history tells us that we are likely to be with these harsh measures for some time.
For Nelson Mandela, who won the Western approved Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was South African President from 1994 to 1999, was not removed from the US Terrorist Watch List until 2008.
Our recent harmonised elections were considered free, fair, peaceful and credible by both local and international observers.
But not so with Uncle Sam!
The Trump administration, well-known for its dislike of Governments of former liberation movements, responded with a renewed package of economic sanctions.
This time, an appropriate response that would see us soldier on without losing sight of our economic trajectory is mandatory.
Days of lamentation should be a thing of the past.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has already hinted at not looking at sanctions as an excuse of retarded economic progress.
The US, like an international bully that it has always been, does not waste time flexing its economic might, imposing sanctions willy-nilly.
As we speak, Russia, Iran, Democratic Republic of Korea, Sudan and Turkey, among others, are also victims of Uncle Sam’s ‘loose cannon’ approach.
But non of these countries is standing idle with arms akimbo, waiting for sympathetic gods from heavens above to intervene on their behalf.
Zimbabwe should be no exception.
The re-engagement and engagement drive we have embarked on has already seen us earn new friends.
We are no longer the international leper that the West wanted us to be seen as.
To the contrary, there are many now who, in fact, want to do business with us.
Surely, there is a life beyond the US.
What we should do now is to invoke the discipline and determination that saw us liberate ourselves from an enemy with superior weaponry.
After all, we have got the natural resources and brains essential to drive our country to the cherished middle-income economy by 2030.
We have faith in the ability of President Mnangagwa to pick a corruption-free team to lead us into Canaan.
We know it won’t be easy.
For we have characters both from the US and, believe it or not, from Zimbabwe, determined to see our economy ‘scream’ .
We will never forget the trip to the US by Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti soon after ‘Operation Restore Legacy’.
Their mission was to urge the US not to let go of ZDERAA.