By Innocent Mujeri
The Government of Zimbabwe has applauded the European Union for positively reviewing the illegal sanctions and travel restrictions imposed on Zimbabwe by removing four individuals from the sanctions list, Harare Post can report.
The four individuals whose names were removed from the sanctions list are Vice President General (Rtd) Constantino Chiwenga, Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Air Marshall (Rtd) Perrance Shiri, ZDF Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda and former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe.
In a statement released yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Dr Sibusiso Moyo commended the EU for easing sanctions and said it is a gesture that signals a reciprocal willingness to move forward.
Minister Moyo said Zimbabwe’s emphasis is to move from what has been a troubled relationship with the European Union and by way of the new political economic course articulated by President Mnangagwa, to forge an effective partnership free from all such historical impediments and baggage.
“We have taken note of European Union’s position with regard to its long-standing sanctions regime against Zimbabwe, and welcome its decision to further ease, albeit only slightly, those measures.
“We view this development as an acknowledgement of progress made in terms of the broad reform agenda we have set ourselves and to which we are fully committed. That reform agenda is a process rather than an event and it will take time to complete,” said Dr Moyo.
However, Minister Moyo maintained that sanctions were illegal and were not supposed to be imposed on Zimbabwe in the first place.
“We maintain that these and other sanctions measures imposed against Zimbabwe are unjustified and out-dated; that they actually hinder our reform trajectory, and that all such measures should be removed especially at a time when Government is confronted by the daunting consequences of natural disaster and devastating drought.” added Minister Moyo.
While reviewing the sanctions on Zimbabwe, the EU said it remains ready to support Zimbabwe in the implementation of reforms towards the attainment of Agenda 2030.
The bloc said it had offered assistance to Zimbabwe in sectors such as assisted economic development, primary health care, resilience building and humanitarian assistance. The EU further reiterated that they are ready to review policies that affect the Zimbabwean people.
“The EU is ready to review the whole range of its policies at any time, when justified, based on developments in the country”, said the bloc in a statement.
However, the European bloc extended sanctions against the Zimbabwe Defence Industries by one year in a development that Zimbabwe, while hailing the headway with the EU through the on-going dialogue, called for a blanket removal of sanctions against the country.
The decision to positively review sanctions on Zimbabwe is the first since former colonial power Britain, which advocated for their imposition on Zimbabwe, withdrew from the European Union. The next sanctions review is in February 2021 and it is expected that the remaining embargos will be unconditionally removed to give Zimbabwe a chance to economically position itself on the global markets.
