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IT is regrettable that the United States Government continues to spurn Zimbabwe’s re-engagement efforts and has chosen to prolong its scorched earth foreign policy towards Zimbabwe at a time when the rest of the world appears willing to give President Mnangagwa’s administration a chance to rebuild the nation. 

It is also ironic that a superpower like the US which purports to champion democratic tenets of good governance, the rule of law and human rights is at the forefront of bullying a tiny country like Zimbabwe through a discredited sanctions regime which is past its sell-by date. 

Instead of supporting and assisting the New Dispensation to grow the economy and improve the lot of the people of Zimbabwe, the US Government is doing everything possible to frustrate efforts by Harare. We therefore find the decision by the US Foreign Relations Committee to call for a review of sanctions against Zimbabwe by adding more names on the list of those embargoed by Washington quite unfortunate given the giant strides made by Harare as it forges ahead with its reform programme. 

On Wednesday last week Senators Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chris Coons (Democrat-Delaware), a member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, sent a letter to US Treasury Secretary Mr Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mr Mike Pompeo requesting that the US Department of the Treasury update the list of sanctioned persons in Zimbabwe. 

The Senators called for a “balance of new designations with appropriate removals” which they said would “incentivise changes in behaviour” by government agents. “Given the developments in Zimbabwe over the last two years, we urge you to consider enhancing the tools at your disposal, including the use of targeted sanctions, to incentivise changes in behaviour by the government of Zimbabwe. An update to the list of the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list should incorporate a balance of new designations with appropriate removals,” the letter read. 

US sanctions on Zimbabwe have been in place since 2003 and were first imposed by President George W Bush. They include an arms embargo, a travel ban on senior Government officials, an asset freeze as well as a ban on trade with selected parastatals and State entities. The sanctions have hit the economy hard but have failed to effect regime change in Zimbabwe — the desired outcome of the proponents of the punitive measures. 

The two senators behind the latest moves to tighten sanctions against Zimbabwe are among the sponsors of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act — a diabolic piece of legislation which has bled Zimbabwe’s economy dry through lost business opportunities and seizures of funds destined for the country. Zimbabwe’s commercial banks have been fined millions of US dollars while proceeds of diamonds from Chiadzwa have been seized by the US Office of Assets Control for allegedly violating the economic embargo. 

Zimbabwean businessmen including billionaire mogul Mr Strive Masiyiwa have called for the removal of sanctions as they curtail their efforts to grow their businesses and access the US and other western markets. It is mind-boggling that while the US purports to support the people of Zimbabwe, it is doing the very opposite on the ground. 

By sanctioning a democratically elected Government, the US is seeking to subvert the will of the people as expressed unequivocally through the ballot box in July 2018. Such blatant interference in the internal affairs of another country has no place in today’s world and progressive nations should condemn the US’s strong-arm tactics which belong to a bygone era where Washington played “policeman” of the entire universe. 

The behaviour of its Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Craig Cloud, who last week claimed that failed economic policies and corruption were responsible for the current challenges in Zimbabwe, shows that the US has a condescending attitude towards smaller nations. Despite the US’s intransigence, we are glad that the Sadc region and the wider African continent stands by Zimbabwe and have reiterated their call for sanctions to be removed. 

We urge the administration of President Donald Trump to reconsider its stance towards Zimbabwe and reciprocate the hand of friendship extended by Harare. President Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe is open to re-engagement with all nations of the world and is willing to let bygones be bygones. 

He has also instituted far reaching reforms aimed at opening up the economy to foreign investors, improving the ease of doing business, increasing civil liberties and enhancing the democratic space.  Granted, it has not been plain sailing and Government has encountered some challenges in implementing reforms but by and large, the country is trudging ahead with change and results have begun showing. The anti-corruption drive is in full swing while the economy has started to rebound. Slowly but surely, Zimbabwe will achieve the turnaround it desires. However, it needs the collective support of the wider community of nations not sanctions which deter economic growth.