Tremont crushes Mnangagwa’s dream of US endorsemen...

Tremont crushes Mnangagwa’s dream of US endorsement

ZimNow Reporter

US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont has effectively dismissed hopes of Washington lifting sanctions on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration, citing Zimbabwe’s shrinking civic space, corruption, and restrictive laws as insurmountable barriers to re-engagement.

Her remarks, made during an April 28 interview on Cite, follow Mnangagwa’s April 2025 decision to unilaterally eliminate tariffs on U.S. imports—a move analysts viewed as a bid to curry favor with Washington after President Donald Trump imposed an 18% tariff on Zimbabwean goods.

Tremont, who has been consistently patronizing in her attitude towards Zimbabwe, highlighted the Private Voluntary Organizations Amendment Act, enacted in April 2025, as a critical concern, stating it “does not align with international best practices” and risks stifling civil society.

The PVO Act grants the Zimbabwe government broad powers to deregister NGOs and suspend their leadership. The US government has been regularly cited as funding organizations working to overthrow the government in Zimbabwe, and its activities are directly affected by the bill.

Meanwhile, the US has the Patriot Act, the Smith Act, and the Espionage Act, among other national and state laws, which all restrict civil liberties and give the government broad powers, including incarceration for life without trial at its infamous Guantanamo Bay camp, where cases of state-authorized extreme torture by security agents have been reported.

Tremont also cited corruption as a roadblock. Zimbabwe ranked 124th globally in Transparency International’s 2024 index. Tremont emphasized that systemic graft deters investors, an observation that has been made by many local and foreign players.

Tremont’s rebuff stresses that U.S. support hinges on reforms that it wants, not tariff concessions.

Meanwhile, the EU has expanded trade ties, offering duty-free access to Zimbabwean exports, with bilateral trade exceeding €700 million annually.

China has also extended a zero-tariff initiative to Zimbabwe through a BRI partner country initiative.