The Southern African Development Community has called for the the unconditional and immediate lifting of sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwean individuals and institutions by the West following allegations of election rigging and human rights violations.
But Britain and USA said the sanctions are restrictive measures, targeting a few people and not all Zimbabweans.
In a statement, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and chairperson of SADC, said the regional body is deeply concerned over claims that the sanctions are of a “targeted nature” and are aimed at unilaterally punishing a few individuals.
“The reality 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, in particular in the sensitive global financial markets. This perception results in the country being unable to attract much-needed foreign direct investment, lines of credit, and other financial services that are essential to the socio-economic development of the country.
"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.
Tshisekedi Tshilombo said SADC is committed to the consolidation of democracy in Southern Africa, and elsewhere in the world.
He said, “Zimbabwe is expected to hold regular national elections in mid-2023. In this context, SADC appeals to those who have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe to give space to the citizens of the country to exercise their democratic rights and not use sanctions as a covert mechanism to effect regime change.
“SADC is also committed to the spirit of multilateralism, in this regard, notes that sanctions imposed against a fellow nation in the family of humanity must be made in accordance with international law. In this context SADC welcomes the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. Alena Douhan, on her visit to Zimbabwe which recommended lifting unilateral sanctions in line with the principles of international law.”
He noted that SADC fully supports the conclusion of the Special Rapporteur that sanctions, including secondary sanctions, and different forms of over-compliance by foreign banks and companies have had a “significant impact on the population and the government, exacerbating pre-existing economic and humanitarian challenges.”
But the United States says the targeted sanctions are not affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.
In a tweet, the U.S. Embassy-Harare said, “Zimbabwe loses up to US$1 billion per year due to #corruption. Corruption deters foreign direct investment. U.S. companies decide where and when to invest based on a conducive and lucrative business environment.
“Diamonds worth US$10 million would fund water treatment chemicals for Harare for 4 months that Zimbabweans desperately need. But they were shipped out of the country for “training purposes” & never reached the intended destination. We can, and will, play a role in improved outreach to those who want to conduct legitimate business in Zimbabwe and have concerns about U.S. sanctions. The Government of Zimbabwe should reflect on the devastating impact its poor governance and policies have had on Zim's economy.”
The USA noted that “sanctions play no role in currency volatility, regulatory instability, inflated government contracts, leakages from the extractive sector, counterproductive agricultural policies, and the list goes on.
“The direct impact of sanctions on the average Zimbabwean is minimal compared to the economic devastation caused by years of corruption, poor policy choices, and economic mismanagement.’ We are willing to talk to companies because we do want legitimate business to do legitimate business in places. And that’s true in anywhere around the world, including in Zimbabwe.”
The British government also dismissed the anti-sanctions campaign saying there were few people on the country’s restrictive measures.
In a tween, the UK Embassy said, “To be absolutely clear, the UK has targeted sanctions on five Zimbabwean officials and one entity for human rights violation and serious corruption. The five individuals are Owen Ncube, Isaac Moyo, Godwin Matanga, Anselem Sanyatwe and Kudakwashe Tagwirei. The entity is the Zimbabwe Defence Industries. These measures do not affect trade or economic development.
“Trade between UK and Zimbabwe was 175 million USD last year. We are working hard to increase this. The UK also provides considerable development assistance to education and health care in Zimbabwe – 114 millon USD this year. This is assistance in support of Zimbabwe’s own National Development Strategy. We want to see Zimbabwe succeed. Anything to suggest that the UK wans to harm Zimbabwe or ordinary Zimbabweans is simply false.”