The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
THE visit to Zimbabwe by two American government officials last week is part of a flurry of such deputations to the country over the past few months as the Obama administration ups its spy missions ahead of a review of Washington’s sanctions on Harare.
It has also emerged that in the latest visit, the delegation made arrangements to meet political opposition and civic organisation officials, but did not include Government or Zanu-PF representatives.
The team only made last minute moves for an audience with Government and ruling party officials when it became apparent that not doing so exposed their agenda. Those 11th hour overtures were snubbed.
Before that, US deputy assistant secretary of State for Africa Dr Shannon Smith led a “fact-finding mission” to Zimbabwe, after which several activists and white ex-commercial farmers led by Mr Ben Freeth were sponsored to go to Washington to make a slew of spurious allegations against President Mugabe and Zanu-PF before American lawmakers as part of the sanctions review.
In recent months, other American government officials have been in and out of the country claiming to be interested in normalising relations while actually generating reports that further entrench hostility.
Information gathered by our Harare Bureau shows that the two US officials — Gregory Simpkins and Piero Tozzi — who were in the country last week are among drafters reviewing the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera), the sanctions law imposed in 2001 as part of a bid to oust President Mugabe’s administration.
The two arrived in Zimbabwe on June 28 and before they departed two days later, they told journalists they had come to do “investigatory work” and Zidera would be amended soon.
Simpkins is staff director of the US committee on Africa, health, human rights and international relations; while Tozzi works for the sub-committee on Africa, health, human rights and international relations.
Simpkins, a former journalist, is involved in foreign advocacy and advises the American government on policy, and Tozzi’s expertise is in crafting international and constitutional law.
During their stay in Harare, Simpkins and Tozzi met officials from civic society and opposition political parties. MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu said that the delegation met its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
