Sadc countries yesterday declared October 25 as solidarity
day against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
They resolved to conduct various activities in their
respective countries on that day to resoundingly call for the immediate removal
of the sanctions.
The secretariat has also since been tasked to escalate the
lobby with the current AU chairperson, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
who would be expected to raise the issue at the upcoming 74th United Nations
General Assembly in September this year.
In a communiqué of the 39th Sadc Summit of the Heads of
State and Government that was read out to mark the end of the indaba yesterday,
Sadc executive secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax said the embargo was
militating against economic growth in both Zimbabwe and the region.
“Summit noted the adverse impact on the economy of Zimbabwe
and the region at large of prolonged
economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe,
and called for the immediate lifting of sanctions to facilitate socio-economic
recovery in the country,” said Dr Tax.
“Summit declared the 25 October 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.”
President Mnangagwa told local media in an interview
yesterday on the sidelines of the just-ended summit that the 16-member states,
which were unanimous on the position that has been taken, would also engage the
continental body to raise the issue with the United Nations
“Well, as Zimbabwe, we were very pleased that this time
around Sadc was unanimous on the issue of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. We
resolved that we must pronounce ourselves as Sadc that sanctions on Zimbabwe
should be lifted; that our secretariat should communicate that position of Sadc
to the AU, so that the AU chairman, at the United Nations, can also pronounce
the position of Sadc and the position of AU,” said the President.
“We are happy that again it was emphatic that there was no
cause or need for sanctions to continue; after all, the basis for the sanctions
are not there anymore, and they were illegal at the time when they were imposed
by a few Western countries, America and the EU. So, we are very happy with
that.”
The push to remove sanctions slapped on Harare by the
United States of America and the European Union has been a consistently running
theme throughout the duration of the summit.
The Sadc Council of Ministers put the issue on the agenda
of regional leaders last week, arguing that the new political administration
had made significant progress on both political and economic reforms.
New Sadc chair Tanzanian President Dr John Magufuli also
raised the issue at the weekend. The region, he said, continued to suffer from the contagion
effect of the measures.
President Magufuli said: “As we are all aware, this
brotherly and sisterly country has been on sanctions for a long time. These
sanctions have not only affected the people of Zimbabwe and their Government
but our entire region.
“It is like a human body: when you chop one of its parts,
it affects the whole body. Therefore, I would like to seize this opportunity to
urge the international community to lift up sanctions it imposed on Zimbabwe.
This brotherly country, after all, has now opened a new chapter and it is ready
to engage with the rest of the world. It is, therefore, I believe, in the
interest of all parties concerned to see these sanctions removed. In this
respect, I wish also to urge all Sadc member states to continue to speak with
one voice on the issue of Zimbabwe.”
Sadc countries were also commended for the humanitarian
support they provided to countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi that
bore the brunt of recent weather-related disasters between January and April
this year.
During the period, cyclones Desmond, Enawo, Idai and
Kenneth caused extensive flooding in Comoros, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar,
Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Heavy rains also affected KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.
More than 1 000 people were killed and over 3,3 million
people were affected and required immediate humanitarian assistance such as
food, shelter, clothing, potable water, sanitation and medical support. The
regional body also urged member states to implement comprehensive multi-year
response plans to tackle recurrent droughts and boost agricultural
productivity.
There has been a significant decline in grain production in
countries such as South Africa, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe as a
result of either poor rains or flooding in the 2018-2019 farming season.
Most notably, Sadc also adopted Kiswahili as the fourth
Sadc official working language “in recognition of its contribution and Mwalimu
Julius Kambarange Nyerere’s role during the liberation struggle.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa returned home yesterday
afternoon from the 39th Sadc Summit in Tanzania where he assumed the
chairmanship of Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Corporation.
He was received at the Robert Mugabe International Airport
by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, Harare Metropolitan Minister Oliver Chidau,
State Security Minister Owen Ncube, Chief Secretary to the President and
Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, Service Chiefs, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana and senior
Government officials. Herald
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