Zimbabwe’s government criticized the United States’ revised sanctions this week, which extended measures targeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and some senior leaders while removing others from the list.
U.S. Embassy officials said the new sanctions were aimed at improving Zimbabwe’s human rights record and reducing corruption.
Zimbabwe Information Minister Janfan Muswere on Wednesday condemned the United States and called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of what he called “illegal” sanctions.
“The Government of Zimbabwe wishes to reject any suggestion that this is a new development between Harare and Washington,” he said, noting that Mnangagwa has long been subject to U.S. sanctions.
“To this end, the Government of Zimbabwe condemns the continued heinous sanctions against Zimbabwe and their intent to destroy our economy,” Muswere said. “We therefore do not celebrate the current delisting of other key players. … …Zimbabwe should never have been subject to any form of sanctions from another country in the first place.”
U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Lawrence Socha said on Wednesday that the Biden administration is committed to ensuring that sanctions are targeted, timely and target those closely associated with corruption and serious human rights abuses, including Mnangagwa.
“In Zimbabwe, we continue to witness serious violations of political, economic and human rights,” Socha said. “Targeting civil society and stringent restrictions on political activity stifle fundamental freedoms, while key actors, including government leaders, Misappropriation of government resources for personal gain. U.S. sanctions are not targeted at Zimbabwe as a country.”
Zimbabwe’s government blames sanctions for the country’s economic woes since the early 2000s. Critics attribute the decline to corruption and poor policies in Harare.
Marvelous Kumalo, spokesman for the Crisis Alliance, a human rights group in Zimbabwe, said: “We never invited sanctions and we never celebrated their existence. We are happy now because whenever sanctions fail to deliver socio-economic results, Hala The Trump administration always blames sanctions. So now we’re going to check them out and see if they’re going to deliver.”
He continued, “We urge the Zimbabwean government to correct its human rights record, public corruption and reform-related issues. We would be happier if they introduced reforms that would make Zimbabwe a better country.”
Obert Mathare, president of the Zimbabwe United Rural Teachers Union, said he hoped the new measures announced in Washington would do more than just improve economic conditions.
“Zimbabwe continues to backslide on issues such as human rights, democracy and holding credible elections,” he said. “We have also seen massive plunder of our mineral wealth. All this has led to severe poverty among our people. Teachers are also affected; incomes are below the poverty baseline. That is why at least 4,000 people leave the country every year to seek A better life.
“So we hope this [new] The sanctions regime can put pressure on Harare to reform and create a governance structure that carries the hopes and aspirations of our people. “This is democracy.” “
In announcing the revised sanctions, U.S. President Joe Biden also ended an official U.S. state of emergency over Zimbabwe’s government actions and policies, first imposed in 2003 amid reports of election rigging and human rights abuses.
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