The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has reiterated its call for the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe saying it is deeply concerned by the claim that sanctions imposed on the Republic of Zimbabwe by western powers are of a “targeted nature” aimed at unilaterally punishing a few individuals.
In a statement on 25th October 2022, SADC Chairperson and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo reaffirmed the 16-member regional bloc’s solidarity with the Government and people of Zimbabwe and reiterated calls for the unconditional and immediate lifting of the sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwean individuals and institutions.
H.E Tshisekedi said the reality of the sanctions is that there is a spill-over and contagion effect on the rest of the country, in particular by imposing a blanket negative perception about Zimbabwe across the world, moreso in the sensitive global financial markets. This perception results in the country being unable to attract the much-needed Foreign Direct Investment, lines of credit and other financial services that are essential to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said this is more concerning given the need for rapid global recovery from at least two years of the socially and economically crippling COVID-19 pandemic which has now been compounded by a general rise in inflation across the world. Zimbabwe, like most developing countries, is particularly vulnerable to these trends and the unilateral sanctions worsen the plight of her economy.
H.E President Tshisekedi said SADC fully supports the conclusion of the UN Special Rapporteur, Ms Alena Douhan, that sanctions have had a significant impact on the population and the Government, exacerbating pre-existing economic and humanitarian challenges. He said SADC welcomes the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures and the Enjoyment of Human Rights.
Ms Douhan visited Zimbabwe in October 2021 to examine the impact of the unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights in Zimbabwe and on people’s right to development. She recommended lifting the sanctions in line with the principles of international law.
SADC, at its 39th Ordinary Summit in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, in August 2019, declared October 25 as the date on which Member States can collectively voice their disapproval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms until the sanctions are lifted.
In his message to mark the day, Zimbabwean President H.E Emmerson Mnangagwa expressed gratitude to SADC and the African Union for the international solidarity the country continues to get in its quest to ward off the sanctions.
The cost to the economy caused by the unilateral and illegal economic sanctions is immense. It is estimated that since 2001, the country might have lost access to more than US$100 billion in bilateral donor support, international commercial loans, and grants and loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
H.E President Mnangagwa said the people of Zimbabwe felt humbled by the solidarity demonstrated by both SADC and the AU as well as by progressive forces and organisations who at the recent 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly called for the immediate and unconditional removal of the sanctions. He noted that while there is no denying the immense drawbacks that Zimbabwe has to endure in pursuit of its national goals, Zimbabweans must appreciate that at the end of the day, they have to see to it that they successfully push their own development agenda.
