Consequently, the country’s external arrears have continually increased. Mr. Speaker Sir, there are also noted impacts on the country’s financial services sector on the international financial transactions on the investment and growth of the economy and also on the agricultural sector impact on the industry and manufacturing sectors, impact on the mining sectors and also on the energy sectors.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will zero in on the impact of the sanctions on the tourism sector. Bad publicity has dealt Zimbabwe’s tourism sector a negative blow. This is because Zimbabwe is falsely perceived as an unsafe and risk country to visit with the likes of the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, Australia and others issuing negative travel advices to their citizens. This drastically reduced the number of tourists’ arrivals from the West. There is also an impact on the health sector and also on the current prevalence of Cholera and other waterborne diseases in Zimbabwe.
The Government of Zimbabwe was very successful in the containment of pandemics prior to the introduction of sanctions. However, with the advent of ZIDERA, the ability of the country to fight diseases such as HIV and AIDS and Cholera has been affected mainly because of the lack of funding to fight these diseases.
In conclusion, to the impact of sanctions, Zimbabwe is willing to engage with sections of the international community which imposed sanctions. It is not a situation where we are not willing; we are actually willing as enunciated by our President when he took over Government in the Second Republic. The latter, which means United States must remove the illegal sanctions immediately and unconditionally to allow the country to move forward. Zimbabwe and its SADC partners therefore call upon the United States to unconditionally remove the sanctions which were imposed on the country in the year 2001 by the George Bush administration.
It is in pursuit of the aspirations of the SADC report that this Parliament must do its part and take it upon itself to seek justice for the people of Zimbabwe who have suffered so long due to the sanctions. Mr. Speaker Sir, on Section 4 part 5 (c) of ZIDERA under the heading – Multilateral Financial Restriction, it is stated that until the President makes the certification described in Section (d) and accepted as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States Executive Director to each of the International Financial Institutions to oppose and vote against any extension of the respective institution of any loan credit or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe, any cancellation or reduction in indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or to any International Financial Institution. On Section 6 under the heading – Sense of Congress on Actions to be taken against individuals responsible for violence and the breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe, the ZIDERA Act reads in part as follows;
It is the sense of congress that the President should begin immediate consultation with the governance of the EU member states, Canada and other appropriate foreign countries on ways in which to
-Identify and share information regarding individuals responsible for the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe.
– Identify assets of those individuals held outside Zimbabwe.
-Implement travel economic sanctions against those individuals and their associates or family members.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is important to note that this Act has come upon us as part of an operation of the U. S. Foreign and Defence Policy. It is imperative that I unpack the U. S. Foreign and Defence Policy especially highlighting the human error element that exists in its establishment, particularly pointing out that there are phases where the United States of America has come up with some irrational foreign policy decisions which affects millions of people worldwide, not only in Zimbabwe and particularly those in the affected countries.
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