Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe has the potential to return the country to its breadbasket status, the Senate has heard.
Updating the Senate recently on the 46th Plenary Assembly Session of Sadc Parliamentary Forum held last December in Namibia, Beitbridge Senator Tambudzani Mohadi, who was part of the delegation that represented Zimbabwe, said member states spoke with one voice condemning the unjust illegal sanctions which violate international law and have caused untold suffering to the people of Zimbabwe.
Senator Mohadi said Angola moved the anti-sanctions motion which was seconded by Malawi.
“The plenary assembly debated the motion condemning in the strongest possible terms the illegal and unjustified economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America, European Union and their Western allies and called for their immediate and unconditional removal. The plenary assembly opined that the illegal sanctions undermined Zimbabwe’s efforts to attract investment and realise its national development goals,” said Senator Mohadi.
She said member states resolved that the Sadc Parliamentary Forum issues a statement condemning the illegal sanctions imposed on the people of Zimbabwe.
Sen Mohadi said the lifting of sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe and the evident regional and continental solidarity has the potential to return the country to its former glory of being “the breadbasket” of the Sadc region.
“It was resolved that Sadc Parliamentary Forum member countries should embark on a sustained move to champion debate in their respective Parliaments on the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. The Sadc Parliamentary Forum must draft an emergence item calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions to be placed on the agenda for the 142nd Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly and related meetings and the region must buttress Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary diplomacy efforts by engaging in missions in their own jurisdictions championing the need to remove sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe,” added Senator Mohadi.
She said it was resolved that the Forum should affirm its intentions and collective voice clearly that the unwarranted, unjust and illegal sanctions imposed on the people of Zimbabwe are stunting economic growth in the region and should be removed immediately and unconditionally.
Thirteen member parliaments were represented at the Forum whose theme was: “The role of Sadc Parliaments in assuring universal health coverage by the year 2030”.
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda led the Zimbabwean delegation.
It was resolved that Adv Mudenda should write and remind Forum members on the need to debate the matter in their assemblies while the Zimbabwe Parliament should institute a deliberate communication strategy that speaks on the effects of the sanctions on the country.
Sen Mohadi said the Forum agreed that a deliberate study by the Portfolio Committee on the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Thematic Committee on Human Rights on the effects of the present sanctions regime against Zimbabwe which started in December must be done.
The study should also touch on the provisions of the Act which opposes extension of loans or debt cancellation from multilateral financial institutions to Zimbabwe in the context of re-engagement.
The Forum also resolved to transform the Sadc Parliamentary Forum into a regional Parliament. — @ncubeleon
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