United States Ambassador, Brian A. Nichols has said Zimbabwe has to make reforms to resolve the sanctions issue during a one on one meeting in Harare today.
Zimbabwe has for the past decade been under sanctions which the United States of America calls targeted sanctions.
“If Zimbabwe as a nation fully implements the 2013 constitution, that will resolve the sanctions issues,” Nichols said. “That’s the short answer.”
“… probably the government is committed to doing that and if it does that the sanctions issue will be resolved.”
The American ambassador to the Southern African country went on to say that the focus of Zimbabwe Democratic and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA), which approves sanctions in the Zimbabwean nation, is not economic sanctions.
“What ZIDERA specifically covers for the US policy state points is loans by international financial institutions to the government of Zimbabwe and it has specific exceptions for humanitarian assistance, it permits humanitarian assistance,” Nichols said.
“There are treasury departments specifically designated nationals, 141 people and companies and entities covered.”
“ZIDERA was amended in 2018, was originally passed in 2001, and it is a road for reforms that many many people in Zimbabwe have called for and in fact, as I alluded to already enshrined in the 2013 constitution,” Nichols said.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, John Mangudya is on record during the beginning of this year stating that Zimbabwe cannot finance the government deficit as sanctions did not allow Zimbabwe to access monetary lenders.
The governor said the most of the countries including the US have deficits in the government.
“The problem is not about the deficit… it’s about financing the deficit,” Mangudaya said.
Zimbabwean officials have accused sanctions, which they call illegal, on the downfall of the economy.
The US ambassador mentioned some of the reforms for Zimbabwe, which include freedom of speech, democratic election, private sector-led growth and also ability to buy and sell land.
“This is a country that has already created truth and reconciliatory process, it’s ongoing,” Nichols said. “ZIDERA talks about the importance of that process and accountability for the past human abuses.”
