The leader of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Professor Lovemore Madhuku has said sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium have to be removed as they have a negative effect on the economy.
He said Zimbabwe was losing opportunities including lines of credit due to sanctions, ZBC News reported.
Madhuku’s remarks come as African countries told a recent United Nations summit the restrictive measures have to be removed as they were also affecting them.
Madhuku, a member of the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), said:
We need to appreciate that we have now succeeded in spreading that message to say sanctions must be removed. We have SADC, AU and UN elements appreciating that sanctions ought to be removed and it is unnecessary to deal with Zimbabwe through the avenue of sanctions.
The major effects are clear like our access to lines of credit. As Zimbabwe, we are unable to benefit from what others benefit from. If there are opportunities like you borrow money and pay back with existing concessional rate, that is not happening.
Western countries imposed sanctions on the southern African countries at the turn of the millennium following the fast-track land reform programme that was marred by “gross human rights violations.”
Zimbabwe has since then been calling for the removal of sanctions to allow economic growth.
Calls were also made by United Nations officials including United Nations Special Rapporteur, Dr Alena Douhan last year after embarking on a 10-day fact-finding mission (between 18 and 28 October 2021) on the impact of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.
SADC and the African Union have also been calling for the removal of sanctions but the West says sanctions can only be removed when Zimbabwe has made reforms to enhance good governance.