Online Reporter
Richard Muponde, Zimpapers Politics Hub
THE proposed repeal of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA) by the US House of Representatives is a significant development in the relationship between Washington and Harare.
For over two decades, ZDERA has acted as a legal foundation for sanctions, stifling Zimbabwe’s economic growth and access to international financial institutions.
While its removal is a welcome step, it’s not enough.
The country’s progress remains hindered as long as its key leaders and economic drivers, including President Mnangagwa, the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, remain under separate US sanctions.
The captain of the ship, who is supposed to steer Zimbabwe’s economic and political course, remains incapacitated, and therefore, despite the removal of ZDERA, the nation’s progress cannot reach its full potential.
The sanctions on Zimbabwe were initially imposed in the early 2000s following the fast-track land reform programme, which Zanu-PF and the Government undertook to redress historical land injustices and empower the indigenous majority.
From the perspective of the Government and the ruling party, these sanctions were not a response to governance or democratic shortcomings as claimed by the West, but rather a punishment for daring to correct colonial land imbalances and challenge entrenched Western economic interests.
Since then, the sanctions regime, spearheaded by ZDERA and reinforced through executive orders and travel bans, has had devastating effects on the country’s economic development.
The direct consequences have included the blocking of Zimbabwe’s access to crucial international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.
This has prevented debt restructuring, limited foreign direct investment, and locked the country out of global financial markets.
The broader impact is seen in collapsing infrastructure, shortages of critical medicines, dwindling industrial capacity, and a mass migration of skilled labour.
Beyond these structural effects, sanctions have also created a chilling environment for businesses associated with the country’s development.
The recent decision by the United States to introduce visa restrictions on Zimbabweans, with applications now to be processed in Pretoria, is a continuation of this sanctions architecture by other means.
It is as good as maintaining a whole cartel of embargoes against the country.
While the removal of ZDERA dismantles one legal foundation of the sanctions regime, the continued targeting of Zimbabwe’s leadership undermines any potential progress.
If the steward of the Second Republic, President Mnangagwa himself, is kept under sanctions, then the trajectory of Zimbabwe’s development remains constrained.
In his consistent calls for the unconditional removal of sanctions, President Mnangagwa has highlighted the unjust and damaging nature of these measures.
Addressing the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he remarked: “We call for the unconditional removal of sanctions which have been imposed on our country for over two decades.
“These sanctions are a violation of human rights, they are illegal, and they continue to impede our quest for development. Zimbabwe must be allowed to trade freely, to develop without hindrance, and to chart its own destiny.”
His statement underscores the long held position of Zimbabwe that sanctions are not about democracy or governance, but about politics of control and punishment for resisting Western hegemony.
The repeal of ZDERA, however, still comes with conditions tied to Zimbabwe’s land reform legacy.
The Bill stipulates that Zimbabwe must commit to paying arrears under the Global Compensation Deed within 12 months, inflation adjusted, and not in the form of Government issued securities.
While over US$20 million has already been paid, the burden remains heavy for a country under economic siege.
The Bill reads in part. “In general, The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA Act), as amended, Public Law 107–99 (115 Statute 962) is hereby repealed.
“Condition on further funding for Zimbabwe, the United States shall not support any new or expanded funding from the International Monetary Fund or the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development… unless the Government of Zimbabwe shall commit, within 12 months… to remit all outstanding arrears owed under the Global Compensation Deed.”
This shows that even in its repeal, Washington still seeks to tie the country’s sovereignty to conditions favourable to its interests.
Nonetheless, Zimbabwe’s resilience in the face of sanctions must be acknowledged.
Under President Mnangagwa’s “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo / Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo” (a country is built by its own people) philosophy, Zimbabwe has embraced inward looking strategies.
Flagship capital projects such as the Hwange Units 7 and 8 power expansion, the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway rehabilitation, the expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, and the commissioning of new mining ventures all point to a determination to drive economic development without external dependency.
Agriculture, too, has witnessed a boom under Pfumvudza/Intwasa, ensuring food security in spite of climatic and financial challenges. These projects reflect the Government’s homegrown approach to busting the effects of sanctions and reaffirm the resilience of the people.
Yet, the reality remains that without the removal of sanctions in their totality, Zimbabwe’s full economic potential cannot be realised.
Sanctions on leadership figures undermine international confidence and block meaningful investment partnerships, thereby neutralising the gains of resilience and self-reliance.
The broader geopolitical context also sheds light on why Washington may be recalibrating its approach.
The global divide between the Global South, led by China and Russia, and the Global North, spearheaded by the United States, has intensified.
Africa has become an important battleground for influence, and Washington may view Zimbabwe’s alignment with BRICS and China’s deepening economic presence in the country as a strategic reason to soften its stance.
The repeal of ZDERA could thus be a tactical move to re-engage Zimbabwe and counterbalance the growing influence of rival powers.
While the removal of ZDERA is undoubtedly a welcome development, it is not enough.
If the United States is serious about lifting the embargoes against Zimbabwe, it must go further and remove sanctions against President Mnangagwa, the First Lady Dr Mnangagwa, Vice-President Chiwenga, Dr Muchinguri-Kashiri, Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and others who are central to the country’s governance and economic vision.
Only then can Zimbabwe be free to chart its own destiny without being muzzled. Sanctions must go in their totality and unconditionally.
Anything short of that leaves Zimbabwe’s progress in suspense, its captain incapacitated, and its ship adrift.
