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The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) legislators have disclosed that they will this week officially lobby the PAP Bureau to endorse and adopt a resolution that seeks to address the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and its Western allies.
The PAP is headed by a Bureau which consists of a President and 4 vice presidents. The members of the Bureau represent the five regions of the continent and are mainly responsible for the management and administration of the affairs and facilities of Parliament and its organs.
It further regulates the procedures relating to the financial, organisational and administrative needs in accordance with financial rules of the AU and matters concerning Members and the internal organisation of Parliament and its organs.
“I and Hon Pemmy Majodina moved the first ever motion aimed at removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe in the chamber in 2020 which was never debated after, but I am pleased that our Southern Caucus have raised the same matter again and this time we have agreed that we are taking it to the PAP Bureau for consideration,” said Hon Togarepi Pupurai, at the sidelines of the at the ongoing First Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament in Midrand South Africa.
“I recall that the then President of PAP had agreed to invite a senior member of the Government of Zimbabwe to come and explain the issues related to sanctions at the Plenary, but that never happened.
“There was also a suggestion to come up with a PAP resolution to send a delegation to the United Nations to lobby for the removal of sanctions. We have been engaging with colleagues from across all Regional Caucuses and we have agreed that we approach the Bureau on the issue of the sanctions on Zimbabwe.
“We are all in agreement that a PAP resolution must be adopted on the matter as the sanctions are hurting entire SADC region and continent at large. We will have to approach the President of PAP to facilitate such a resolution now that there is consensus within Members on the demand for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe. And now a delegation should be send to the UN to deliver the PAP position,” said Hon Togarepi.
Togarepi also underscored that there is precedence where PAP resolved and sent a delegation to the UN lobby for the removal of sanctions against Sudan and urged for such a move in regards to Zimbabwe.
Hon Stars Mathe also highlighted the importance of intensifying the fight on removal of sanctions.
“It is sad that the world is silently watching when Zimbabweans are being made to suffer by the US and its Western allies. Millions of our people are living a painful life because of these sanctions, millions are scattered all over the world because of sanctions and thousands have died because of sanctions.
“A lot of firms were closed across of Zimbabwe resulting to job losses because of these sanctions. We need everyone out there to fight these devilish sanctions for Zimbabwe to regain its glory and we believe that our Bureau must come into play as well,” added Hon Mathe.
Last week, the PAP Southern Africa Region Caucus legislators moved a Draft Motion calling on the US and its allies to unconditionally lift sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
The move came as SADC triumphantly commemorated the Anti-Sanctions Day which is an important statement that was birthed by the 39th SADC Summit when southern African leaders declared October 25 as the date on which SADC Member States can collectively voice their disapproval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms until the sanctions are lifted.
Addressing picketing five PAP Regional Caucuses, Southern Africa Caucus chairperson
Hon Pemmy Majodina, urged all Heads of State in SADC to call for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
“The sanctions have negative and atrocious effects on the country of Zimbabwe. As Southern Africa Caucus, we hereby say we are deeply concerned that these unjustified and unilateral sanctions have grave, untenable and egregious effects on women, children and ordinary citizens of the country,” said Hon Majodina from South Africa.
She added, “We want this motion to be recorded as a resolution of the House (PAP) that this House of PAP note that the economic, financial and trade sanctions unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the US, the UK and EU since 2002 have grave repercussions not only on the country’s economy and the fundamental rights of the people the Zimbabwean people, but to the entire SADC region which continues to reel from the catastrophic effects of the sanctions,” said Majodina.
Meanwhile, African Diplomatic Corps accredited to South Africa and the PAP have jointly committed to intensify the fight against sanctions imposed on African member States by the US) and its allies.
Urging the PAP to deepen the fight against the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on some member states, the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador, Salih Omar Abdu from Eritrea highlighted the importance of annihilation of illegal sanctions hindering development across affected countries.
“PAP must priorities the issue of illegitimate Western sanctions imposed on the people of Zimbabwe, Eritrea and Ethiopia. In doing so, as Africans we must come together and fight as one together with all countries under sanctions.
“We as Diplomatic corps in South Africa are committed to the struggle of exterminating all sanctions imposed on our member states
“It is my wish that one day Africa must have a penalty mechanism against those who harass Africans using malevolent systems like sanctions. There is an urgent need for a vibrant public debate at the national, sub-regional and continental level to address these challenges,” said Ambassador Abdu.
While committing to the fight against removal of illegal sanctions imposed on some member states, PAP President Fortune Charumbira expressed gratitude towards the camaraderie spirit of the Diplomatic Corps.
“I am delighted that the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and team have committed to the fight against sanctions that are imposed on some African members States by the US and its partners,” said Hon Charumbira.
“In this regard, I am also assuring you that the PAP is also up to the task of fighting against any embargo or sanctions imposed on our member states. We need to press on until all our states are left to run their affairs without any interference from anyone.
“It is abominable that in this century we still have bullies who act illegal against other member states by imposing illegitimate sanctions on them. We should remain collectively resilient as Africans for us to defeat the bad syndrome of sanctions which is being political weaponised by the West and its partners.”
Chief Charumbira also narrated how the colonial settlers invaded Zimbabwe, uprooted and displaced locals from their ancestral lands.
“In Zimbabwe, we are under sanctions because our government resettled people back into their land. Since the country led a land revolution we have never known peace, with your support Zimbabwe will be a great country.
“When the colonialists invaded our country they took over everything, but when we tried to correct their evil action and share land with them they responded through sanction. This has left the black masses suffering every day,” he added.
Zimbabwe has grappled with economic sanctions since 2002 when the US through the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) imposed an embargo on the country in response to the land reform programme and the leading role played by Zimbabwe in the SADC intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998 in support of the government there.
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