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WE have often wondered what the Government of Zimbabwe has to do to convince the West to lift sanctions it imposed more than two decades ago. Since the advent of the new dispensation following Operation Restore Legacy in November 2017, President Mnangagwa and his administration have implemented a raft of reforms meant to enhance democracy, the rule of law, economic growth and the freedom of expression of the people of Zimbabwe. 

On the economic front, a raft of laws impeding investment have been repealed while new ones meant to attract Foreign Direct Investment have been promulgated. 

The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act has been amended to remove a clause requiring foreign investors to cede 51 percent of their shareholding to locals. 

Government is also seized with enhancing the ease of doing business with a fully fledged Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) that will process investment approvals within a day set to be fully operational this year. The ZIDA Bill also seeks to provide assurance to investors about the country’s commitment to property rights. 

Elsewhere, the Freedom of Information Bill that will repeal the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which was often viewed as stifling media freedom, is before Parliament and will become law soon. The Public Order and Security Act will also be succeeded by the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill under a law reform agenda that seeks to open up the democratic space. Government has also initiated the process of compensating white former commercial farmers following the fast track land reform programme. 

The fiscal discipline instituted by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube is a positive development that had seen Government managing a surplus in just six months. This has been acknowledged by the International Monetary Fund through its Staff Monitored Programme.

Treasury is also on course to re-introducing the Zimbabwe dollar once the necessary economic fundamentals are in place. President Mnangagwa has also introduced the Political Actors Dialogue and revived the Tripartite Negotiating Forum as he reaches out to both political rivals and the labour sector. His re-engagement plan with the West has also gained traction, particularly with the European Union although more progress is required with the US. 

Martin Banks, a highly valued contributor to EU Today, the influential London-based journal, in June noted progress made by the new dispensation and made an impassioned plea for the West to consider lifting sanctions. “All these reforms take time, but they are necessary for the EU and US to lift long-standing sanctions,” said Banks. 

“The IMF (International Monetary Fund) appeared pleased, stating recently that “significant economic reforms” were underway in Zimbabwe. “To push through these reforms, the (President) Mnangagwa government has taken significant steps towards unity and reconciliation, reaching out not only to the opposition with the so-called Political Actors Dialogue initiative, but also to labour and businesses with the Tripartite Negotiating Forum, aimed at shaping policy and binding legal agreements on social issues that affect production and labour,” said Banks. 

“Slowly but surely, (President) Mnangagwa’s actions are bearing fruit. Leaders across Africa have called for the removal of sanctions, which will dramatically ease Zimbabwe’s economic burden”. 

We totally agree with Banks and urge the West to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe to allow the country to expedite economic revival efforts. During his address to the 74th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, President Mnangagwa said the illegal and ruinous sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West have markedly slowed down the country’s development, describing them as an attack on the human rights of citizens. 

While Zimbabwe had registered significant progress in providing safety nets for vulnerable groups of society, more could have been achieved had it not been for the illegal sanctions, the President said. “These achievements are in spite of the continued albatross of the illegal economic sanctions. These sanctions constitute a denial of the human rights of the people of Zimbabwe to develop and improvement of their quality of life. 

“Furthermore, sanctions are slowing down our progress, inhibiting our economic recovery and punishing the poorest and most vulnerable,” he said. 

We challenge the United Nations to assert its authority and honour its principles by reigning in countries that imposed the sanctions. We also pay tribute to Sadc and the African Union for standing by Zimbabwe in its anti-sanctions fight. 

Sanctions have crippled Zimbabwe’s ability to overcome its economic challenges and we urge the US, Britain and their Western allies to give the new dispensation an opportunity to alleviate the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe by lifting the punitive embargo immediately. 

Surely, President Mnangagwa and his Government have made tremendous progress in their reform agenda in a short space of time and deserve a break to solidify the positives while implementing more policies to open up the democratic space, accelerate economic growth and improve the lot of the people of Zimbabwe.