Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, has said that SADC will push for the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe since the country has returned to normalcy since the coming in of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Speaking to reporters in Dar e Salaam on Wednesday, Kabudi said:
The situation in Zimbabwe has normalised with the recent successful elections and a new political dispensation.
The Western community including the European Union, Britain and the United States of America imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe on the turn of the millennium citing human rights violations in the Southern African country.
The sanctions followed the fast track land reform programme which was characterised by invasion of farms formerly owned by white farmers, looting of farm equipment and torture of some farmers.
Kabudi’s remarks preceded Friday’s events which saw State police descending heavily on unarmed protesters who had gathered in the streets of Harare to show dissent to the state of affairs.
The incident was preceded by January protests over fuel prices and August 1, 2018, demonstrations over disputed elections which both degenerated into chaos with soldiers firing live ammunition on civilians.
Since his ascension to power, Mnangagwa has been pushing on a diplomatic offensive agenda premised at re-engaging Zimbabwe with the international community.
Mnangagwa has been selling the idea that his government was different from that of his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, which received criticism for human rights violations. Some analysts, however, observe that Mugabe and Mnangagwa are two sides of the same coin.
More: The Herald