from DANAI MWARUMBWA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE continent has reiterated calls for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
This past weekend marked the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Anti-Sanctions Day, launched in 2019 as a show of regional solidarity with Zimbabwe.
It is observed yearly on October 25.
“On this Anti-Sanctions Day, we reaffirm SADC’s solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and reiterate our enduring call for the immediate lifting of these sanctions,” said Elias Magosi, Executive Secretary of SADC.
He said Zimbabwe was a nation of enormous potential, had demonstrated resilience over time, and the lifting of sanctions would unlock the country’s full potential and pave the way for its meaningful contribution to the prosperity of the SADC region and the African continent.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of all unilateral sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe.
He reaffirmed the AU’s full solidarity with Zimbabwe and its people and aligned with the continental body completely with the position articulated by SADC.
He expressed profound concern over the continued negative impact of these coercive measures, which he said had persisted for far too long.
“These unilateral sanctions represent a significant impediment to the socio-economic development of Zimbabwe and the broader SADC region,” Youssouf stated.
“They have severely constrained Zimbabwe’s access to international finance, deterred foreign direct investment, and increased the cost of doing business, thereby undermining our collective efforts to achieve the goals of Agenda2063: The Africa We Want, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
Zimbabwe president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, noted the sanctions were impacting Zimbabwe’s access to global credit.
“Regrettably, the illegal economic sanctions have fundamentally disrupted the ability of our country to access global lines of credit,” said the president.
The Southern African country has been under sanctions from some Western nations since the early 2000s after embarking on land reforms to address colonial imbalances.
That was under the presidency of Robert Mugabe (late), who the nations accused of human rights violations. The sanctions have resulted in economic malaise that resulted in an exodus of Zimbabweans.
– CAJ News