Zimbabwe needs to fully implement 2013 Constitution for sanctions to be resolved: US Ambassador

United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols has said that all that is required for the United States to lift sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe is for Zimbabwe to fully implement the 2013 Constitution. Nichols also said that the renewal of sanctions through the amendment of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) just before the July 30 harmonised elections was reflecting the cry for reforms by Zimbabweans. Speaking on Tuesday, Nichols said,

The average person in Zimbabwe has a right to go about their lives without a fear of abuse or repression and I think increasing the respect of human rights is a great priority for my government. If Zimbabwe, as a nation, fully implements the 2013 constitution that will resolve the sanctions issue and government has already expressed its commitment to reforms, so if it manages that will resolve the sanctions issue…ZIDERA was amended in 2018 and is a roadmap for reforms that many people in Zimbabwe have been calling for….the right to free speech, democratic elections, private sector-led growth, the ability to buy and sell land – that is what ZIDERA talks of and the accountability for past human rights abuses.

The Zimbabwe government has put a lot of proposals but we need to see concrete actions towards those proposals…There are no economic santions on Zimbabwe as a nation but there are targeted US Department of Treasury sanctions against 144 individuals and organizations.