{"id":19246,"date":"2023-10-25T14:18:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T14:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onecitizendaily.com\/?p=19246"},"modified":"2023-10-25T14:18:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T14:18:05","slug":"sadc-calls-for-sanctions-lift-on-zimbabwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/25\/sadc-calls-for-sanctions-lift-on-zimbabwe\/","title":{"rendered":"SADC calls for sanctions lift on Zimbabwe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Staff writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

South African Development Community (SADC), a regional body, calls for removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The call is contained in a statement issued by the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in South Sudan on 25 October 2023 to mark the annual anti sanctions day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe call for the urgent removal of all sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, for the good of the country itself and its people, as well as for the good of the Region and the world\u201d SADC states.<\/p>\n

SADC noted that the need for removal of sanctions was in alignment with the collective global commitment \u201cto leave no one behind\u201d, and in practical furtherance of the spirit of multilateralism.<\/p>\n

According to SADC, the sanctions on Zimbabwe were violation of the UN Charter.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanctions imposed without the endorsement of the United Nations constitute a violation of the UN Charter, and run fully counter to the spirit and practice of multilateralism which we all hold so dear\u201d the regional body argued.<\/p>\n

SADC noted that the government of Zimbabwe has made great improvements to stabilize its economy under the leadership of President Emmerson D Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Region, SADC has noted and welcomed the resolve and progress made by the Government of Zimbabwe and of President Emmerson D. Mnangagwa in implementing their reform agenda aimed at further stabilising the economy and improving the lives and livelihoods of all Zimbabweans\u201d the statement reads in part.<\/p>\n

The Region has also noted the commitment by the Government of Zimbabwe to continue dialogue through its engagement and re-engagement drive as evidenced with the European Union, the United Kingdom and the International Financial Institutions, its creditors and development partners.<\/p>\n

In solidarity with Zimbabwe, SADC noted that contrary to claims that the sanctions are \u201ctargeted\u201d at a few individuals, the coercive measures continue to have a markedly negative impact beyond the \u201ctargeted\u201d few.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have seriously undermined Zimbabwe\u2019s credibility, its national image, its ability to engage and interact and the ability of Zimbabwean companies, small, medium and large, to trade and transact beyond its borders,\u201d SADC said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Brief Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

The rationale for the imposition of sanctions 23 years ago was primarily given as \u2018concern for rule of law and human rights violations and concern at the overall state of governance in Zimbabwe\u2019. It is clear, however, that the decision by western governments to isolate Zimbabwe both diplomatically and economically was indeed triggered by the implementation of Zimbabwe\u2019s Fast Track Land Reform Programme in 2000.<\/p>\n

The history behind the Land Reform Programme is long and complicated. Suffice it to say that the main reason for and objective of Zimbabwe\u2019s 15-year Liberation War against the century-long settler colonial occupation was the recovery of land forcibly seized by those settlers from indigenous Zimbabweans, without any compensation.<\/p>\n

Funding and other support-related assurances given during the Lancaster House meetings which led to a cessation of hostilities and Zimbabwe\u2019s independence in April 1980, failed to materialise as quickly and as fully as originally promised or expected, and what support was provided became increasingly stringent and conditioned.<\/p>\n

The frustration, disillusionment and anger of thousands of indigenous Zimbabweans who had fought for their freedom and patiently waited for their Government to honour its promises of land reform and re-distribution, erupted.<\/p>\n

The Fast Track Land Reform Programme was launched. Reaction from western countries, in the form of sanctions and other punitive measures was swift.<\/p>\n

Originally imposed by the USA, in 2001, in the form of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA), and by the European Union, in 2002, the sanctions (including an arms-embargo) have been renewed at the beginning of every year since that time. The most recent renewal occurred in February 2023, by EU and in March, the USA.<\/p>\n

ZIDERA was amended, indeed strengthened, in 2018, immediately prior to the holding of Zimbabwe\u2019s harmonised elections (July 31).<\/p>\n

On 15 September 2022, the US Department of the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added one more Official on the sanctions list.<\/p>\n

In addition, eleven (11) individuals were removed from the list. These are either deceased or have been deemed to no longer undermine Zimbabwe\u2019s democratic processes and institutions.<\/p>\n

However, the arms embargo and the targeted assets freeze against one company, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, have been maintained by the European Union.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff writer   South African Development Community (SADC), a regional body, calls for removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe. The call is contained in a statement issued by the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in South Sudan on 25 October 2023 to mark the annual anti sanctions day. \u201cWe call[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[134,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-2","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/SADC.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19248,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19246\/revisions\/19248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}