As you start your term, President-elect Donald Trump, one of the messages you should receive sooner rather than later is that: Sanctions on Zimbabwe must go! It’s now weeks after the Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Day was commemorated across Africa. Mr President, sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe remain, today and tomorrow, an unjust, barbaric act against a sovereign nation that has sought neither war nor confrontation with anyone but only to determine its destiny within the global family of nations. For over two decades, Zimbabwe has been under the weight of illegal sanctions imposed primarily by the US, UK, EU and their allies. These sanctions, cloaked under the guise of promoting ‘democracy’, ‘human rights’ and ‘governance reforms’, have devastated Zimbabwe’s economy and hindered its development.

Mr President, you are famous for wanting to Make America Great Again and for your information, we also want to make Zimbabwe great too. Everyone is questioning the morality and fairness of subjecting an entire nation to such punitive measures for daring to reclaim its sovereignty and address historical injustices rooted in colonial exploitation. Mr President, our President E. D. Mnangagwa, in his engagement and re-engagement drive, has generously stated ‘Zimbabwe is friend to all and enemy to none’ and ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’. However, successive US administrations have repeatedly spurned this hand of friendship, instead choosing to engage in gunboat diplomacy and hollow platitudes. That past US administrations, including yours, have chosen to make Zimbabwe a geopolitically contested space is a choice that may haunt your future generations. Mr Trump, this is not your first dance in the Oval Office; you have all this information but we will repeat it for the avoidance of doubt.

At the heart of the sanctions regime lies a fundamental issue: Zimbabwe’s determination to pursue a path of self-determination and to right the wrongs of its colonial past. The sanctions were f irst imposed in response to the country’s Land Reform and Resettlement Programme in the early 2000s, which aimed to redistribute land from a small white minority, who owned vast tracts of the country’s arable land, to the black majority who had been dispossessed during colonial rule. The programme was not an affront to any one nation, especially the US, as we had no bone to chew with you. The programme was a pro-people move by Zimbabwe to resolve the deep-rooted inequalities inherited from colonialism. However, for many in the West, Zimbabwe’s land reform was seen as a threat to the established economic order. Mr President, you are famous for wanting to Make America Great Again and for your information, we also want to make Zimbabwe great too. Everyone is questioning the morality and fairness of subjecting an entire nation to such punitive measures for daring to reclaim its sovereignty and address historical injustices rooted in colonial exploitation. Mr President, our President E. D. Mnangagwa, in his engagement and re-engagement drive, has generously The redistribution of land, once held by a few white commercial farmers, challenged the entrenched interests of the former colonial power Britain and its allies.

The sanctions imposed under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) by the US in 2001, as well as the EU sanctions in 2002, were framed as responses to ‘human rights’ violations, electoral ‘irregularities’ and ‘governance’ issues. But to the people of Zimbabwe, it is a well- known fact that these sanctions were an unjust punishment for their decision to reclaim national resources and right the historical wrongs inflicted by colonial rule. Zimbabwe is not the first African country to experience the consequences of daring to break free from Western economic dominance. Across the continent, many nations that sought to chart their own paths to development and self-reliance have been met with sanctions, coups and other interventions, all in the name of protecting ‘democracy’ or ‘human rights’. But Zimbabwe’s case is particularly emblematic of the ongoing neo-colonial mechanisms used to control African economies and political systems. By imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe,the West has not only undermined the country’s right to self-determination, but has also set a dangerous precedent for how sovereign nations are treated when they refuse to bow to external pressures. The economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe have had devastating effects on the country’s economy, its people and its social fabric. Though the sanctions were described as ‘targeted’, ostensibly aimed only at overnment officials and ey institutions, the human cost has been widespread and far-reaching. Ordinary Zimbabweans have suffered the most, with hospitals and clinics, which once provided adequate healthcare, being crippled. Industries that provided jobs and contributed to economic growth were starved of the foreign currency and capital they require to operate, leading to widespread de-industrialisation and mass unemployment. It is impossible to separate these outcomes from the sanctions. While the West claims that the sanctions are aimed at pressuring the Zimbabwean Government to ‘reform’, it is the people who bear the brunt of these restrictions. A World Health Organisation (WHO)report from 2022 highlighted how sanctions had crippled the healthcare sector, exacerbating child malnutrition and maternal mortality rates. Zimbabwe’s growing population of young people, many of whom have nown nothing but life under sanctions, have had their prospects limited.

These sanctions have effectively become an economic war on the innocent — a form of collective punishment on a population that has committed no crime but to live in a nation whose leadership, rightly, sought to reclaim its resources. This is barbarism in the 21st century. Lest we forget, sanctions are a weapon of coercion. The imposition of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe reflects a broader global trend in which powerful nations are using economic warfare as a tool of coercion.

Sanctions have been presented as a non-violent alternative to military intervention, to influence the behaviour of governments. Yet, the reality is that sanctions have just been as devastating if not more so than armed conflict They target the most vulnerable members of society, disrupting access to food, healthcare and basic services, while entrenching poverty and inequality. In the case of Zimbabwe, the sanctions have been a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty and its right to determine its own political and economic path. As a sovereign nation, Zimbabwe should have the freedom to implement policies that address its own unique challenges, whether they relate to land ownership, economic development or governance. But the sanctions have stripped Zimbabwe of this freedom, leaving it vulnerable to external shoc s which it nevertheless continues to resist. Mr President, this is a barbaric act, a remnant of the colonial mindset that sees African nations as incapable of self-governance and in need of foreign intervention to guide their development. While many African leaders have spo en out against the sanctions, particularly through platforms li e the outhern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU), the West has remained largely unmoved. The continued imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe is a star reminder that, in the eyes of some global powers, African nations are still subject to the whims of foreign interests, no matter how unjust those interests may be. Since 2019, SADC has commemorated October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day, a day of solidarity with Zimbabwe and a protest against the continued use of sanctions as a tool of oppression. In the years that have followed, the commemoration has gained support across the continent, with the AU adopting it as a continent-wide day of protest. This outpouring of solidarity from African leaders reflects a growing recognition that Zimbabwe’s struggle is not ust its own it is a continental fight for sovereignty, dignity and the right to self-determination. SADC’s message has been clear: Sanctions are a violation of international law and a form of economic warfare affecting them. In numerous communiqués, African leaders have roundly condemned the sanctions as an attac on Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and an attempt to undermine its right to pursue its own development path. They have called for the immediate lifting of all economic sanctions, correctly arguing that they are impeding Zimbabwe’s recovery and hindering regional development. At the 2023 Anti-Sanctions Day, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa remar ed Zimbabwe is being punished for daring to stand up for itself, for reclaiming its land and see ing to address historical injustices. This is a travesty of justice, and we must all stand with Zimbabwe in its time of need.” His words were echoed by the late Namibian President Hage Geingob, who described the sanctions as a barbaric act of economic warfare that has no place in a world that claims to value human rights and sovereignty”.

The AU’s involvement in Anti-Sanctions Day highlights the broader implications of Zimbabwe’s plight. Sanctions against one African nation are rightly being seen as an attac on the entire continent, a reminder of the ongoing struggle for independence and equality in a world still dominated by former colonial powers. The AU’s call for the lifting of sanctions is not just a demand for justice for Zimbabwe — it is a demand for the recognition of Africa’s right to determine its own future without interference. The sanctions against Zimbabwe have failed to bring about the desired regime change and a pliant puppet government; they have only deepened the country’s economic crisis and the nation’s resolve to fight Mr President, it is time for the West, especially the US, to engage in a genuine and civilised

dialogue with Zimbabwe — a dialogue based on mutual respect, not coercion. Zimbabwe has a ey role to play in regional and global development. With its vast natural resources, a young and dynamic population, and a strategic location in Southern Africa, the country must be a major player in industries such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing. But for this potential to be realised, Zimbabwe needs to be integrated into the global economy, not isolated into economic oblivion. The human cost of sanctions cannot be ignored. In the case of Zimbabwe, these sanctions have become a form of collective punishment on a nation that has committed no crime or threatened global peace or engaged in acts of aggression. Zimbabwe has sought no confrontation with its neighbours nor the global community nstead, it has as ed only for the right to determine its own economic policies, redistribute its land, and build a future based on the principles of sovereignty and self-determination.

Mr President, the call for the lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe will continue to grow louder. This is not just a demand from Zimbabwe — it is a demand from all of Africa and from all progressive forces that believe in the principles of fairness, justice and respect for sovereignty. The sanctions on Zimbabwe are a blight on the international order, a reminder that in the 21st century, powerful nations still wield the barbaric tools of economic coercion to punish those who dare defy their dominance. Mr President, the time has come for the global community to recognise the injustice of these sanctions and to ta e action The people of Zimbabwe have suffered enough They have shown remar able resilience in the face of adversity, but they should not have to endure this suffering any longer Mr President, it is time to totally remove the sanctions and allow Zimbabwe the chance to rebuild its economy, restore its industries and ta e its rightful place in the global family of nations. Zimbabwe is loo ing into the future a future in which the country is free to chart its own course, unhindered by the punitive measures of vindictive foreign powers.

A future where the people of Zimbabwe can enjoy the fruits of their labour, access the resources they need to build prosperous lives and participate fully in the global economy. The total removal sanctions will not only benefit Zimbabwe but also the entire Southern African region. It will unloc economic opportunities, promote trade, and contribute to regional stability Zimbabwe has much to offer the world, from its rich natural resources to its vibrant culture and talented people. But for these gifts to be realised, the chains of sanctions must be totally broen Mr President, the time for sanctions has passed.

The time for justice is now.

Lift the sanctions.

Let Zimbabwe breathe!

Let Zimbabwe thrive!

Evans Mushawevato, Harare.