Harare, (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Thursday the United States no longer had “moral authority to punish other countries under the guise of upholding democracy” following violent invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of out-going President, Donald Trump.
At Trump’s cue, hundreds of thousands of his supports stormed Capitol Hill, the seat of Congress, and disrupted vote-tallying proceedings to confirm newly elected Joe Bidden as the next US President.
The US President has disputed the outcome of the November 3 election in which he lost to Bidden, and has sought to overturn the result in his favour.
The supporters, alleging electoral fraud and chanting pro-trump slogans, overpowered police and stormed into the Congress building.
This forced the Bidden confirmation proceedings in Congress to be halted, and legislators, including Vice President Mike Pence, to be whiskey away to safety.
Four people, some shot by the police, died in the unprecedented melee.
Bidden is due to be sworn in on January 20.
Commenting on the chaos on his Twitter handle, President Mnangagwa said the US had lost the moral right to champion democracy anywhere in the world.
He recounted that Trump had last year renewed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe imposed two-decades ago over a range of differences, among them alleged lack of democracy.
“Yesterday’s events showed that the US has no moral right to punish another national under the guise of upholding democracy. These sanctions must end,” the Zimbabwean leader said on microblogging site, Twitter.
President Mnangagwa congratulated Bidden on his confirmation as the 46th President of the US while extending an olive branch.
“Zimbabwe is, as it always has been, ready to work together as friends and partners with the US for the benefit of both our peoples,” he said.
The US imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe two decades ago taking a cue from Britain after Harare had implemented its historic land reform programme opposed by London.
The embargo has had a devastating impact on Zimbabwe’s economy, over the two decades.
New Ziana
