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Herald Reporter

Zanu PF has praised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for taking the issue of illegal sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe directly to White House when he told the United States President Joe Biden that the embargo was adversely affecting the economies of the entire Sadc region.

President Ramaphosa told President Biden that illegal sanctions had weakened the country’s economy and have had a negative spillover impact on the region.

President Ramaphosa, who was on a State visit to the US last week, said he raised the issue of sanctions against Zimbabwe during his meeting with President Biden. The US is holding on to the illegal sanctions they imposed on Zimbabwe which have affected the country’s progression under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.

The South African president is on record that he told his US counterpart that the economic sanctions were not only affecting Zimbabwe, but the entire Sadc region.

Addressing the media yesterday, Zanu PF spokesperson Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa thanked the neighbours for taking it upon themselves to call for the removal of sanctions.

“These sanctions have been devastating to the growth of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“To have President Ramaphosa take that bold stance and tell President Biden in his face that these sanctions are damaging not only Zimbabwe, but the region, it’s a good thing. It is clear that the dictum is you are my brother’s keeper.

“Thank you South Africa, thank you Cde Cyril. You are our big brother on the African continent. You took a lead on this issue based on principle, brotherhood and neighbourhood,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.

“We are very happy that the voice of South Africa and its weight recognised on the international fora has been spoken by South Africa. We hope that President Biden does the correct thing and goes on to lift the sanctions against Zimbabwe.

“Sadly that was not the case he decided to announce the sanctions, extending them to a police officer,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.

America and its allies imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe in 2001 after the country embarked on the land reform programme.

President Ramaphosa said regional countries were also feeling the brunt of the western-imposed sanctions.

His comments come days after the United Nations endorsed findings and recommendations contained in the final report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, calling for the unconditional removal of the punitive measures.

The report was presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, last week on Wednesday by Professor Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur who visited Zimbabwe on a fact-finding mission in October last year.

Commenting on the report, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Nations entities in Geneva, Stuart Comberbach said the research paper confirms the country’s long held view on the crippling effects of sanctions on the country.

President Ramaphosa on Monday during his meeting with Biden he said regional countries were also feeling the brunt of the western-imposed sanctions.

“We also raised an issue of sanctions on Zimbabwe and argued that sanctions that are imposed on Zimbabwe have a collateral damage on us South Africa in the sense that they implement those sanctions against Zimbabwe, it weakens the Zimbabwean economy resulting in Zimbabweans leaving Zimbabwe in droves going to neighbouring countries South Africa, Botswana and Namibia,” he said.

“We then suffer collateral damage as a result of that because as they come to our countries, they obviously want services which we obviously must provide and it causes a burden on our own countries.”