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ZIMBABWE under the leadership of President Mnangagwa has been pursuing both economic and political reforms towards sustainable development and the continued existence of the illegal economic sanctions is hampering the country’s development.

At the 39th Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Dar es Salaam in 2019, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said the West should unconditionally remove sanctions on Zimbabwe so as to free its people from the albatross rock.

“These sanctions have not only affected the people of Zimbabwe and their government, but the entire region. It is like a human body, when you chop one of its parts it affects the whole body.

“Therefore, I would like to seize this opportunity to urge the international community to lift sanctions it imposed on Zimbabwe. This brotherly country after all has now opened a new chapter and it is ready to engage with the rest of the world. It is therefore, I believe, in the interest of all parties concerned to see these sanctions removed,” he said in May last year after visiting the country on a two-day visit.

“This embargo should be reconsidered and removed, so the people of Zimbabwe can enjoy their life and develop their country”.

During the 40th SADC Ordinary Summit Heads of States and Government that was virtually hosted by Mozambique in August, in his address as the outgoing SADC chairperson President Magufuli said; “It is my strong belief that our nations will benefit if sanctions on Zimbabwe are lifted. It will offer an invaluable contribution not only to Zimbabwe, but to the entire continent. These are some of the achievements we have been able to achieve during the past year”.

“During the 39th summit, we (SADC) passed the resolution to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe, which were imposed since 2001. In that resolution we approved October 25 of every year to be a special day against sanctions in Zimbabwe where member states will be conducting various activities including preparing dialogues and declarations against the sanctions on Zimbabwe”.