Zimbabwe sanctions affect citizens, neighbours, says Ramaphosa

THE illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West are causing untold suffering among ordinary citizens and neighbouring countries, and should be lifted, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, said yesterday.

Addressing the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, President Ramaphosa also called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Cuba some 60 years ago.

"South Africa continues to call for the lifting of the economic embargo that was imposed 60 years ago against Cuba," he said.

"An embargo that has caused untold damage to the country's economy and the people of Cuba as well.

"The sanctions that are also being applied against South Africa's neighbour, Zimbabwe, should also be lifted as they are imposing untold suffering on ordinary Zimbabweans, but also have a collateral negative impact on neighbouring countries as well such as my own country, South Africa."

President Ramaphosa and many African presidents have been consistently calling for the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West, mainly the United States.

The European Union, Britain, Canada and other countries, have also imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe but have been reviewing them after realising they were unjust, and that Harare is keen to engage and re-engage with the rest of the world under President Mnangagwa's foreign policy mantra, "friend to all and enemy to none".

It is only the US which has continued to tighten the sanctions at the behest of the opposition, with a view to making the economy "scream" so that Zimbabweans turn against the ruling Zanu-PF party and replace it with the CCC, which has morphed from the MDC.

The CCC was soundly defeated in last month's harmonised general elections, despite attempts by detractors to undermine the local currency against the US dollar, resulting in price increases.

Zanu-PF won 136 National Assembly seats against the CCC's 73 while President Mnangagwa, who was the Zanu-PF presidential candidate, received 52,6 percent of the total votes cast against CCC's Mr Nelson Chamisa who got    44 percent.

Eight other presidential candidates got 3,4 percent of the total 4 561 211 votes cast during the August 23 and 24 elections.

The call for the removal of sanctions by President Ramaphosa comes ahead of October 25, which was declared by SADC as a day of solidarity against sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

During its 39th SADC Summit in Tanzania in 2019, Southern African leaders agreed to set October 25 as a day when they can collectively voice their disapproval of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium by the West.

The sanctions came as a response to the Land Reform Programme that Zimbabwe embarked upon from the year 2000 to correct colonial land ownership imbalances that saw a few white people owning large tracts of land while the majority blacks contended with small and largely unproductive pieces of land.

More African leaders are expected to call for the lifting of the sanctions during the UNGA.

Meanwhile, Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was the first to address UNGA yesterday, said he was back in New York in "the honourable capacity of president of Brazil", thanks to the "victory of democracy in my country".

"Brazil is finding itself again with itself, with our region, with the world and with multilateralism. Our country is back to make its due contribution to facing the main global challenges," he said.

President Mnangagwa, who arrived in New York yesterday, is expected to address the UNGA tomorrow.

The 78th UNGA is running under the theme, "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all."