KEY POINTS
- President Mnangagwa criticized U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe, attributing them to the country’s economic difficulties.
- The remarks coincided with SADC’s Anti-Sanctions Day, which calls for the removal of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe.
- Mnangagwa urged regional solidarity to challenge the impact of sanctions on Zimbabwe’s economy.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has blamed the United States for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe which he says is the cause of the country’s problems.
Addressing the SADC Anti-Sanctions Day, Mnangagwa claimed that the sanctions have hampered the development of Zimbabwe’s economy and urged for unity in the region to fight for the lifting of sanctions.
The appellate jurisdiction of Mnangagwa’s appeal against sanctions
During a spirited speech, Mnangagwa said that the Western sanctions led by the US have brought a lot of suffering to the people of Zimbabwe by denying them a chance to access the international markets.
He pointed out that the restrictions have dampened investment, closed opportunities to international markets, and prevented financial assistance. This, he said, has made economic recovery difficult, with millions of Zimbabweans facing unemployment, inflation and dilapidated infrastructure.
New Zimbabwe quoted Mnangagwa as saying that his government was clear that the sanctions are not only a political weapon but an attack on the country’s economy.
He encouraged SADC countries to support Zimbabwe’s request to have the sanctions removed as he presented it as regional matter with potential impact on the continent’s economic freedom.
SADC’S position on anti-sanctions day
All SADC countries celebrate October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day, calling for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West. It is celebrated throughout the Southern African region and leaders continue to protest that sanctions are destructive to Zimbabwe and its people.
The SADC leaders have claimed that sanctions have been directed at Zimbabwe only and have hampered the country’s growth as well as the stability of the region.
The regional bloc has repeatedly demanded the removal of the sanctions saying they infringe on the country’s sovereignty and are a burden to its citizens. SADC supports Mnangagwa’s call for an end to what they say are punitive measures that have worsened the economic situation in Zimbabwe in the last two decades.
Effects of sanctions on Zimbabwe’s economy
Mnangagwa insists that sanctions have compounded Zimbabwe’s difficulties making the inflation rate higher, foreign investment harder and infrastructure weaker.
While the critics of Mnangagwa’s government have pointed to internal mismanagement and corruption as the main causes of the country’s economic problems, the government insists that sanctions are the main cause of the nation’s problems.
While Anti-Sanctions Day brings focus to Zimbabwe’s problems, Mnangagwa believes that increased regional and international awareness will lead to a reconsideration of the sanctions.
He still believes that collective regional approach can change the international position on sanctions and open a new chapter for the Zimbabwe’s economy
