Southern African bloc reiterates call for lifting sanctions on Zimbabwe

Source: Xinhua| 2019-10-25 18:15:36|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Friday reiterated its call for an immediate removal of the sanctions on Zimbabwe.

SADC Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax said in a statement that lifting the sanctions will benefit the Zimbabwean people, the SADC region as a whole and its cooperation with the European Union (EU) and the United States.

The targeted sanctions imposed since 2002 by the United States, Britain and the European Union, which include trade restrictions and withdrawal of bilateral and multilateral financial support, are estimated to have cost Zimbabwe about 100 billion U.S. dollars.

The SADC statement said the sanctions have proved to be directly affecting entities beyond so-called targeted individuals, and have a negative impact on the credibility of Zimbabwe as well as serious trickle-down effects on the economy and people of Zimbabwe, and by extension, the SADC region.

"Sanctions on these entities directly impact on employment and income generation opportunities, and thus the livelihoods of the ordinary Zimbabweans," noted the statement.

The unilateral sanctions have negatively impacted on the strategic economic sectors of the southern African country and presented barriers to innovation, investment and growth, according to the statement.

Tanzania is the current chair of the SADC -- a regional economic community founded in 1992 which comprises 16 members. Enditem

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