The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Southern Africa Caucus legislators have moved a motion calling on the United States (US) and its allies to unconditionally lift sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe at the current underway First Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the PAP consultative meetings of five Regional Caucuses in Midrand, South Africa. The Draft motion is expected to be taken to the plenary for adoption.
The consultative meetings are held under the African Union theme for 2022, “Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development.”
While opening the sittings of the Consultative Meetings earlier this week which are meant to consider and make proposals for Amendments to the Rules of Procedure, the PAP President H.E Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira led calls for immediate removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe ahead of the SADC Anti-Sanctions Day.
“We need to bring stability to Zimbabwe, SADC and Africa as a whole for progress to be attained,” said H.E Charumbira.
“We need to fight as a block collectively. Challenges facing any continental member state must be fought by all Africans. Let us also always remember that for our growth we need stability, with sanctions placed on any of our member states there will never be any stability, development and growth. I am challenging all Africans to fight for removal of these unjustified sanctions.”
The commemoration of the Anti-Sanctions Day came after an important statement at the 39th SADC Summit when southern African leaders declared October 25 as the date on which SADC Member States can collectively voice their disapproval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms until the sanctions are lifted.
Zimbabwe has grappled with economic sanctions since 2002 when the United States through the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) imposed an embargo on the country in response to the land reform programme and the leading role played by Zimbabwe in the SADC intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998 in support of the government there.
Addressing picketing five PAP Regional Caucuses, Southern Africa Caucus Chairperson Hon. Pemmy Majodina, urged all Heads of State in SADC to call for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
“The sanctions have negative and atrocious effects on the country of Zimbabwe. As Southern Africa Caucus, we hereby say we are deeply concerned that these unjustified and unilateral sanctions have grave, untenable and egregious effects on women, children and ordinary citizens of the country,” said Hon. Majodina from South Africa
She added, “we want this motion to be recorded as a resolution of the House (PAP) that this House of PAP note that the economic, financial and trade sanctions unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States, the United Kingdom and European Union since 2002 have grave repercussions not only on the country’s economy and the fundamental rights of the people the Zimbabwean people, but to the entire SADC region which continues to reel from the catastrophic effects of the sanctions,” said Majodina.
Hon. Stars Mathe from Zimbabwe also challenged the entire African legislators to fight for removal of sanctions imposed on her country.
“I am calling upon fellow members of parliament and committees of the PAP to mobilize support toward Zimbabwe’s Road to peace and prosperity for all its citizens, and speak with one voice for the lifting of the foreign sanctions that have been imposed for years on our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe,” she said.
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