UK maintains that sanctions do not harm Zim’s econ...

UK maintains that sanctions do not harm Zim’s economy

**Businessman Kuda Tagwirei is one of the 5 Zimbabweans who have been placed on sanctions**

Patience Muchemwa

The United Kingdom Government has refuted claims that sanctions on Zimbabwe are harming the country’s economy, arguing that the sanctions target only five individuals and one entity.

This comes as Zimbabwe and other countries in the SADC region marked the Anti-sanction Day on October 25, calling for their unconditional removal.

However, in an apparent response to the marking of the day, maintains that the sanctions have nothing to do with the deterioration of the country’s economy.

“To be absolutely clear, the UK has targeted sanctions on five Zimbabwean officials and one entity for human rights violation and serious corruption. The five individuals are Owen Ncube, Isaac Moyo, Godwin Matanga, Anselem Sanyatwe and Kudakwashe Tagwirei. The entity is the Zimbabwe Defence Industries. These measures do not affect trade or economic development.”

The UK added that trade between the two countries was US$175 million last year, adding the European country also provide development assistance to education and health care in Zimbabwe.

“Trade between UK and Zimbabwe was 175 million USD last year. We are working hard to increase this.

“The UK also provides considerable development assistance to education and health care in Zimbabwe- 144 million USD this year. This is assistance in support of Zimbabwe’s own National Development Strategy.”

UK said it wanted to see Zimbabwe succeed.

“Anything that suggest that the UK wants to harm Zimbabwe or ordinary Zimbabweans is simply false.”

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Ministry Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana, however said sanctions had a negative impact on Zimbabwe.

“Sanctions are a blight on a country’s credit rating. The mere fact that the country is associated with Sanctions has a direct effect on the ability of that country to transact openly.

“ZIDERA is extraterritorial. It obligates all Americans and all American companies to block Zimbabwean transactions wherever they happen. It means the British companies with an US citizen on its board has to uphold the requirements of ZIDERA,” he said.

Zimbabwe has been under sanctions ever since the turn of the millennium when the country instituted its land reform, with the United States joining the UK and the European Union in imposing sanctions on the southern African nation.

The US used its Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 as a vehicle for the punitive measures.