Accra, Nov. 04, GNA – Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of Mission accredited to Ghana have urged Ghana to use her influence to end sanctions on Zimbabwe.
The envoys in a communique issued at a press conference in Accra, said they were soliciting for the usual support and solidarity of the Government of Ghana and its people in alignment with the collective global commitment “to leave no one behind”.
The SADC Heads of Mission who issued the communique comprised of Mr Kufa Chinoza, the Zimbabwean High Commissioner to Ghana and Chairperson of the Association, Mr Richard Mwanza, the Zambian High Commissioner to Ghana, Madam Grace Mason, the South African High Commissioner to Ghana; Madam Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, the Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana and Mr Joao Domingos Baptista Quiosa, the Angolan Ambassador to Ghana.
The Envoys reiterated this call after their meeting marking the 25th October Zimbabwe Anti-Sanction Day.
The communique said Ghana’s support was in line with the practical furtherance of the spirit of multi-materialism.
“We call for the urgent removal of all sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, for the good of the country itself and its people as well as for the good of the region and the world.”
“The Envoys would therefore like to join other SADC Missions, on the third consecutive year, around the globe in reiterating their call for the lifting of the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe imposed by the United States, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK),” the Communique said.
The background was that the 39th Summit of the SADC Heads of States and Government held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in August 2019, declared the 25th of October of every year as the Zimbabwe Anti-Sanction Day.
It said the Day was effectively designated for the collective expression on the disapproval of the continued economic embargo on Zimbabwe by the US, the EU and the UK.
It said the current visit to Zimbabwe by Madam Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur, at the invitation of the Government of Zimbabwe, was a welcome development with further hopes that her findings and recommendations would lead to a positive outcome and relief, for Zimbabwe, from more than 20 years of sanctions.
The communique said the sanctions had continued to hamper recapitalization and modernization of Zimbabwe’s industries at a time the nation was seeking effective participation in the recently launched African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
It said the ongoing and devastating COVID-19 pandemic continued to negatively impact on the health, education and sanitation infrastructure.
It noted that resultantly, the country suffered an estimated $21 billion reduction in gross domestic product (GDP) over the 20-year period of isolation.
It said SADC’s solidarity with Zimbabwe arose as well from the realisation that sanctions against Zimbabwe had also impacted the broader SADC Region, most notably by way of Zimbabwe failing to meet agreed regional macro-economic convergence and other integration targets, even prior to COVID-129, thereby negatively affecting overall regional economic performance.
It said Zimbabwe had been unable to meet agreed tariff-phase down schedules under the SADC Trade Protocol, the Tri-Partite Free Trade Area (TPFTA) and the AfCFTA.
It said the SADC Region had also noted the commitment by the Zimbabwean Government to dialogue through its engagement and re-engagement drive as evidence by the dialogue process between Zimbabwe and the EU, the UK and the International Financial Institutions.
Mr Chinoza, who read the communique, also appealed to ECOWAS to join SADC in the fight to get the illegal sanction lifted from Zimbabwe.
Mr Quiosa said countries in the SADC Region were united in their efforts to get the sanction lifted from Zimbabwe and appealed to other African nations to join the fight in getting the Zimbabwe sanction removed.
“United we stand. And Africa needs to unite itself in common causes; and this one is a common cause not just for SADC as it is today but for the whole of Africa. We need to come together and fight for what we believe is right”.
Madam Mason said SADC and the rest of Africa were together in the cause of getting Zimbabwe’s sanction removed.
GNA