Zimbabwe Parliament plans to send delegation to US to lobby Biden to lift sanctions 

There were also increasing resent among citizens in increased support for the opposition parties and civic society advocacy groups, who were allegedly fighting for good governance.  The Government is allegedly to have responded through the media space, through Access to Information and Privacy Act, of course which they said was to limit the publication of falsehoods against the country and also perpetrating instability by these journalists who were publishing false stories in some cases.

Due to this development, the sanctions were imposed by the United States (US) Government in two forms.  One of them being economic sanctions and the other being targeted sanctions.  I will move on to the targeted sanctions.  The US Government implemented targeted sanctions against senior Government officials and civil servants, who were believed to be at the centre of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.  So, the briefing paper also tackle the sanctions under that heading.  It also tackles the human interests of promoting democracy, ensuring that there is multilateralism and all that sort.  It also touches on the forced action, which the US Government takes, chief among them is the diplomatic engagement that needs to be taken.  Under this heading, the diplomatic engagement involves using diplomatic means to engage with the Zimbabwean Government on terms that promote mutual benefits through economic and political cooperation.  It is proven that where States cooperate for mutual economic gain, they are least likely to engage in any conflict that may disturb the attainment of absolute cause.

So, it will also go on to talk about the costs that will be incurred during the sanction lifting process and the benefits that will accrue to both countries and the possibility of congressional support.  Already in the United States Congress, a Senator called Jim Inhofe has already tabled a motion in the US Congress to repeal ZIDERA.  The rationale for this motion is that the US sanctions are hurting ordinary Zimbabweans.  It is not the political elite that they are talking about.  Over the past 20 years, the US sanctions have failed to achieve their intended results according to their own interpretation and they are no longer relevant after President Robert Mugabe left office.  The sanctions have impacted severely on women and children, and a significant number of economically active Zimbabweans have left the country into the diaspora, mainly South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia.  Many have left their wives and children, bearing the brunt of economic hardships, partly blamed on the US sanctions.

The Briefing Paper will also look on the international support for diplomatic engagement and under this heading, it reads as follows; the imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe happen during the leadership of Mr. Tony Blair, as Prime Minister of the UK.  Mr. Blair’s disagreement with President Robert Mugabe on the way in which the Land Reform would be funded inevitably resulted in the chaotic Land Reform Exercise which precipitated the sanctions against Zimbabwe by the US, EU and the UK.

However, following the Brexit, which is the movement of the British State from the European Union (EU), the EU cannot continue to enforce these sanctions.  Also following the election of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe, there is no longer need for the continued imposition of sanctions.  The President has fought to improve relations between Zimbabwe and the UK – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- President Mnangagwa has implemented a re-engagement policy aimed at normalising relations between Zimbabwe and the West, apart from instituting fiscal transparency and other economic reforms.  The Government of Zimbabwe has also applied to be re-admitted into the Commonwealth, a group of former British colonies, meaning that the Government is prepared for any reforms required for such admission.  The efforts of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in improving relations with the West therefore deserve international support.

I will look on the downside risks, the implication on the wider US strategy and recommendation.  The recommendation is to have the US Congress remove the sanctions unconditionally and immediately.  This should be done through a delegation sent to the congress and to the President of the United States of America.  This delegation is being sent by this Parliament to ensure that they appear before the congress and the President and advocate for the unconditional removal of the sanctions. I thank you.

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