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On Monday, the US government announced it had lifted sanctions on our country but in the same release said it had imposed sanctions on President Mnangagwa, the First Lady and a number of senior Government officials.

What does that statement really mean? 

They claimed to have removed sanctions on Zimbabwe, but in the same breath prolonged them on figures as key as the President himself, his wife, Vice-President Chiwenga and security chiefs.  

It was needlessly oxymoronic for them to say that.  

Meaningless in the manner they communicated and meaningless in the sense of “lifting” sanctions while imposing them at the same time.  

The President, speaking in Somabhula on Thursday, was clear, firm on that.  

“The recent announcement by the USA that they were removing sanctions on Zimbabwe remains absolute nonsense if they are partially removed. Those sanctions are illegal and the United Nations Security Council has also declared these sanctions illegal and they must be unconditionally removed,” said President Mnangagwa.

He added:

“As it stands, it remains meaningless and nonsensical. Anything short of total removal of these illegal sanctions is nonsense to us and they should just do the honourable thing and lift these sanctions in their entirety. 

“We will only be pleased if they are removing all the sanctions on Zimbabweans. This will help us grow even better. They must not expect us to smile when they announce that they are removing some sanctions and maintaining some. These sanctions are in their nature illegal and must be removed.” 

Zimbabwe has no time to waste discussing what is clearly cheap US wordplay.  

The fact is they have just prolonged their illegal, unjust, unwarranted and retributive sanctions against Zimbabwe.

As we have said countless times since Washington imposed the measures on us in 2001, we, as the President stressed on Thursday, demand that the US unconditionally lifts its illegal sanctions against our country.

If they don’t want to do that, as their Monday statement demonstrates, the valiant people of Zimbabwe will, regardless, forge ahead developing their country. 

 Our economy has been the fastest growing in southern Africa over the past two or so years.  The people recently exercised their democratic right to elect their Government. Investment is pouring in from the East and other friendly nations despite the US sanctions.  

The people of Zimbabwe are now used to living under sanctions anyway, so they will keep working hard for themselves and their country.  

Their Government will intensify its efforts to, yes, be a friend to all and an enemy to none, but at the same time consolidating its time-honoured co-operation with China, Russia, India and other nations in the South.