by Derick Tsimba
America is downplaying economic and political gains achieved by the Second Republic so far as evidenced by the extension of sanctions by another one year, Minister of Foreign affairs and international Trade Lt General (Rtd) Dr Sibusiso Moyo said in a statement yesterday.
Minister Moyo said Zimbabwe has made notable progress on political, economic and legislative reforms which the US government is overlooking.
“...the narrative accompanying the renewal order makes no reference to, nor does it acknowledge or recognise any of the notable progress made in the implementation of political, economic and legislative reform programmes outlined by His Excellency the President when he assumed office in November 2017, and further reinforced following the harmonised elections of July 2018,” he said.
Dr. Moyo also said the reason being put forward by America for the renewal of sanctions, that the country had not demonstrated the political will to effect major reforms is regrettable.
“We disagree strongly with the assertion that our Government has not demonstrated the political will to effect major reforms. Evidence of that reform abounds, inter alia, in the form of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, the repeal of POSA, the imminent repeal of AIPPA, the imminent licensing of Community Radio Stations and independent television stations, the raft of electoral law reforms already endorsed by Cabinet and now awaiting formal submission to the Parliamentary consultative process, the commitment to complete the alignment of all laws to the 2013 Constitution by the end of June 2020, the formal establishment of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), ongoing Ease of Doing Business reforms, the ongoing implementation of many of the Motlanthe Commission recommendations and, indeed, many others : all of it, ignored, most regrettably in the decision by the US Government to maintain its sanctions regime in place.
“Notwithstanding this unfortunate stance, we will continue to seek meaningful re-engagement with the United States authorities on a mutual respect basis and we will, of course, continue to pursue the reform agenda we have set ourselves at a pace which is responsible, manageable and sustainable,” he said.
Zimbabwe is no longer fighting a lone battle for the removal of sanctions as regional bodies like SADC and AU have stepped up efforts to have the illegal restrictions removed.
