Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo
SADC member states and other progressive nations will this week join Zimbabwe in its sustained lobby to have illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West removed unconditionally.
October 25 has been set aside by SADC (Southern African Development Community) as Anti-Sanctions Day.
It is a day set aside for the region to collectively denounce the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe.
The sanctions, which have been described by regional leaders as unjust and punitive, have made it impossible for Zimbabwe to access finance from international financial institutions and restricted investment. However, Zimbabwe has showed resilience through import substitution and strengthened partnerships with friendly nations in the Global South.
In interviews with The Sunday Mail, diplomats accredited to Harare reaffirmed their countries’ solidarity with Zimbabwe. Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Nikolai Krasilnikov said Moscow’s support for Harare was both historic and unwavering.
“We have close coordination in political affairs, both domestically and internationally,” he said.
Palestinian Ambassador Mr Tamer Almassri said sanctions were an obstacle to Zimbabwe’s development and a violation of its sovereignty.
“You know that Palestine supports Zimbabwe all the time and we are totally against the illegal sanctions, and we support Zimbabwe’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council because it will represent us and it will represent all the oppressed people besides representing all Africans,” he said.
SADC, through its head of communications and public relations Ms Barbara Lopi, said the regional bloc would issue its official statement in due course.
“As is customary, SADC will issue an official statement and we would prefer not to pre-empt any matters that will be addressed therein,” she said.
Political analysts who spoke to The Sunday Mail highlighted how the sanctions have stifled Zimbabwe’s economic growth, while also noting the country’s ability to adapt and find new pathways for progress.
Harare-based analyst Mr Dereck Goto said sanctions had created systemic obstacles to growth by isolating Zimbabwe from international financial markets.
“Sanctions, more accurately described as coercive economic measures, have constrained Zimbabwe’s growth efforts in several interlinked ways,” he said.
“First, they have restricted access to international credit lines, investment capital and development financing, forcing the country to rely on internal resources and non-Western partners for funding.
“Second, the reputational risk associated with sanctions has deterred global investors and raised the cost of doing business, stifling private sector expansion.
“Third, the measures have weakened fiscal space, limiting public investment in infrastructure, health and education, which are critical engines of growth.”
Another analyst, Mr Kudzai Mutisi, said the sanctions had made it difficult for ordinary Zimbabweans to fully participate in the economy.
“The illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and its Western allies at the turn of the millennium created massive economic problems for Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans,” he said.
“With no access to international lines of credit and a crushed economy, the Government of Zimbabwe struggled to build public infrastructure and provide public services.”
However, Mr Mutisi noted that adversity had also pushed Zimbabwe to innovate and diversify.
“Over the years, Zimbabweans have found ways to survive with the sanctions.
“The Government of Zimbabwe’s Look East policy unlocked new opportunities and partnerships with friendly countries like China, Russia and India.
“Through the wise leadership of President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe managed to render the sanctions ineffective and achieve unprecedented success in agriculture, infrastructure development and mining.
“It is also under President Mnangagwa’s leadership that the European Union, Britain and the United States removed the bulk of the sanctions, giving Zimbabwe an opportunity to dream even bigger.”
