The lives of Zimbabweans are in the hands of the American Congress.

Believe it or not it is true that the lives of Zimbabweans are in the hands of the American Congress. I am sure the question in the reader's mind right now is, "By what means this wonder is effected?" The answer dear readers is that the American Congress have a bill called the Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA) which indirectly gives them the power to control not only the Zimbabwean economy but also how Zimbabweans are governed. For those of you who are not knowledgable about this ZDERA bill let me inform you fully about this bill and copy and paste word for word what it says.

The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (S. 494) is an act passed by the United States Congress sanctioned to provide for a transition to democracy and to promote economic recovery in Zimbabwe.
Senators Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) and Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) introduced the bill on March 8, 2001.[1] Senators Frist, Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York), and Joseph Biden (D-Delaware) sponsored the bill. The US Senate passed the bill on August 1, 2001 and the House passed the bill on December 4, 2001. President George W. Bush signed it into law on December 21, 2001.
Let me bring to your attention that the Republican, Senator Jesse Helms, spent most of the early years of his life working against black majority rule in Zimbabwe and the bill was drafted with the help of one of the white parliamentarians of Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC.
The bill was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent, and a record of each senator’s position was not kept. The House of Representatives passed it by roll call vote, which was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill. It needed a two-thirds majority – 396 representatives voted for it, 11 against, and 26 abstained.

Below is the full text of the Act

S.494 [107 th Congress of the United States of America]: Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act 2001.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.

Section 1 : Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001”

Section 2 : Statement of Policy
It is the policy of the United States to support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful, democratic change, achieve broad-based and equitable economic growth, and restore the rule of law.

Section 3 : Definitions
In this Act :
•International financial institutions – The term ‘international financial institutions’ means the multilateral development banks and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
•Multilateral development banks – The Term ‘multilateral development banks’ means The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
The International Development Association,
The International Finance Corporation,
The Inter-American Development Bank,
The Asian Development Bank,
The Inter-American Investment Corporation,
The African Development Bank,
The African Development Fund,
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
The Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency.

Section 4. Support for democratic transition and economic recovery
■Findings – Congress makes the following findings:
■Through economic mismanagement, undemocratic practices, and the costly deployment of troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government of Zimbabwe has rendered itself ineligible to participate in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development [also known as the World Bank] and International Monetary Fund [IMF] programmes, which would otherwise be providing substantial resources to assist in the recovery and modernization of Zimbabwe’s economy. The people of Zimbabwe have thus been denied the economic and democratic benefit envisioned by the donors to such programmes, including the United States.
■In September 1999, the IMF suspended its support under a “standby arrangement’, approved the previous month, for economic adjustment and reform in Zimbabwe.
■In October 1999, the International Development Association (in this section referred to as “IDA”) suspended all structural adjustment loans, credits, and guarantees to the government of Zimbabwe.
■In May 2000, the IDA suspended all other new lending to the government of Zimbabwe.
■In September 2000, the IDA suspended disbursement of funds for ongoing projects under previously approved loans, credits, and guarantees to the government of Zimbabwe.
■Support for democratic transition and economic recovery :
■Bilateral debt relief – Upon receipt of the appropriate congressional committee of a certification described in subsection (d), the secretary of the treasury shall undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by any agency of the United States government.
■Multilateral debt relief and other financial assistance – It is the sense of Congress that, upon receipt by the appropriate congressional committee of a certification described in subsection (d), the secretary of the treasury should:
■Direct the United States executive director of each multilateral development bank to propose that the bank should undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by that bank; and
■Direct the United States executive director of each international financial institution to which the United States is a member to propose to undertake financial and technical support for Zimbabwe, especially support that is intended to promote Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and development, the stabilization of the Zimbabwean dollar, and the viability of Zimbabwe’s democratic institutions.
■Multilateral financing restriction – Until the president [of the United States] makes the certification described in subsection (d) and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the secretary of the treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against (1) Any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the government of Zimbabwe, or (2) Any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
■Presidential certification that certain conditions are satisfied :
A certification under this subsection is a certification transmitted to the appropriate congressional committee of a determination made by the president (of the United States) that the following conditions are satisfied:
■Restoration of the rule of law – The rule of law has been restored in Zimbabwe, including respect for ownership and title to property, freedom of speech and association, and an end to the lawlessness, violence, and intimidation sponsored, condoned, or tolerated by the government of Zimbabwe, the ruling party, and their supporters or entities.
■Election or pre-election conditions – Either of the following two conditions is satisfied (a) Presidential election – Zimbabwe has held a presidential election that is widely accepted as free and fair by independent international monitors, and the president – elect is free to assume the duties of the office. (b) Pre-election conditions – In the event the certification is made before the presidential election takes place, the government of Zimbabwe has sufficiently improved the pre-election environment to a degree consistent with accepted international standards for security and freedom of movement and association.
■Commitment to equitable, legal, and transparent land reform – The government of Zimbabwe has demonstrated a commitment to an equitable, legal and transparent land reform programme consistent with agreements reached at the International Donors Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1998.
■Fulfilment of agreement ending war in DRCongo – the government of Zimbabwe is making a good faith effort to fulfil the terms of the Lusaka, Zambia, agreement on ending the war in DRCongo.
■Military and national police subordinate to civilian government – The Zimbabwe Armed Forces, the National Police of Zimbabwe, and other state security forces are responsible to and serve the elected civilian government.
■Waiver – The president [of the United States], may waive the provisions of subsection (b) (1) or subsection (c), if the president determines that it is in the national interest of the United States to do so.

Section 5 : Support for democratic institutions, the free press and independent media, and the rule of law :
(a) In general – the president [of the United States] is authorized to provide assistance under Part 1 and Chapter 4 of Part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to:

•Support an independent and free press and electronic media in Zimbabwe.
•Support equitable, legal, and transparent mechanisms of land reform in Zimbabwe, including the payment of costs related to the acquisition of land and the resettlement of individuals, consistent with the International Donors’ Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1998, or any subsequent agreement relating thereto, and
•Provide for democracy and governance programmes in Zimbabwe.
(b) Funding – Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out Part 1 and Chapter 4 of Part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for fiscal year 2002 -

•$20m is authorized to be available to provide the assistance described in subsection (a) (2); and
•$6m is authorized to be available to provide the assistance described in subsection (a) (3)
( c) Supersedes other laws – The authority in this section supersedes any other provision of law.

Section 6 : Sense of Congress on the actions to be taken against individuals responsible for violence and the breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe :
It is the sense of Congress that the president [of the United States] should begin immediate consultation with the governments of European Union member states, Canada, and other appropriate foreign countries on ways in which to:

•Identify and share information regarding individuals responsible for the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence, and intimidation in Zimbabwe.
•Identify assets of those individuals held outside Zimbabwe.
•Implement travel and economic sanctions against those individuals and their associates and families; and
•Provide for the eventual removal of amendment of those sanctions

It is this ZDERA bill that is now barring the Zimbabwean GNU government from accessing the desperately needed lines of credit which in turn affect the GNU's economic turnaround programmes. To qoute the Minister of Finance, Mr Tendai Biti, "The World Bank has right now billions and billions of dollars that we have to access, but we can’t access those dollars unless we have dealt with and normalised our relations with IMF but then we cannot normalise our relations with IMF because of the voting power of USA, it’s a blocking voting power of America and
people who represent America on that board cannot vote differently because of ZDERA," he said. It is Section 4(c) of ZDERA that is barring any lines of credit to Zimbabwe which states that: The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against:
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.

As much as I want Zimbabwe to develop and have economic growth which is something that lines of credit from the World Bank and the IMF can make possible, I support ZDERA for trying to protect my human rights as a Zimbabwean and for putting measures to ensure that the rule of law is followed in Zimbabwe and there is freedom of expression and association. I don't blame the American Congress for refusing to repeal the ZDERA Act until there is true democracy and the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

Simbi Veke Mubako, Zimbabwe's ambassador to the USA back then in 2001 when the bill was passed and signed, and Cynthia McKinney who was a US Congresswoman when the bill was passed accused supporters of the bill of anti-black racism citing that there were ulterior motives for the bill which had something to do with the Zimbabwean Land Reform Programme. They considered the bill as a way for Westerners to protect their kith and kin relations (in this case, white farmers who had lost their lands in Zimbabwe), and punish the culprits who were making their kith and kin suffer.

Ulterior motive or no ulterior motive, one thing I do know is that I want democracy and the rule of law to reign in Zimbabwe and this ZDERA which restricts the Zimbabwean government where it hurts the most is my only hope.