From 2000 onwards, the crime rate increased significantly by 84% in response to constricted employment opportunities, resulting in increased drug and substance abuse, illicit foreign currency dealings, robberies, theft, increased illegal artisanal mining activities and smuggling among other activities. Elevated household poverty levels have led to an increase in the practice of child pledging and early child marriages, as financial struggling families try to make ends meet.
Cases of violence against women are also on the increase, ever since January 2011 to date, an average of 2 900 rape cases have been reported each year. It is evident from the foregoing that unilateral coercive measures have not only had an adverse economic impact, but have also torn the social fabric, values and morals of the Zimbabwean society.
The above distressing crime statistics have been occasioned by the lack of operational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies due to inadequate financial and material resources, induced by the unilateral coercive measures; a case in point being the non-delivery of 1 000 Land Rover Defender vehicles, purchased from the UK in 1998. Initially, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was supposed to take delivery of 1 500 vehicles, however the unilateral coercive measures were imposed after only 500 had been delivered, leaving a balance of 1 000 that have not been delivered to date.
Despite all the socio-economic hardships caused by the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe, the country continues to comply with its responsibility of promoting, protecting and fulfilling its domestic, regional and international human rights obligations.
CONCLUSION
In order to facilitate the removal of the unilateral coercive measures, that have devastated the country, Zimbabwe has reached out to countries that have imposed these measures. However, the dialogue with the EU, which is currently at the Ministerial level, has been progressing slowly, leading to frustration. Zimbabwe, however remains hopeful that the Parties will be able to reach common ground in the immediate future.
Efforts have also been made to conclude the land reform question, through the signing of a Global Compensation Agreement with former commercial farmers to the tune of USD3.5 billion as compensation for the developments made on the land. The country has also implemented a number of economic and political reforms, for example crafted economic blueprints such as the Transitional Stabilization Program (TSP), 2018-2020 and the current National Development Strategy (NDS1), 2021-2025.
It is the Zimbabwean Government’s fervent hope that all these efforts and measures would culminate in the unconditional lifting of all the unilateral coercive measures to enable citizens to fully enjoy their human rights.
I fully support the motion by Hon. Mutodi that there be unconditional lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe, let there be engagement. It is high time this House starts to talk about reparations given the excesses that were done by the British Government when they forcibly took land and enslaved our ancestors. I thank you.
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