Sadc countries have declared October 25 as solidarity day against sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and resolved to conduct various activities in their respective countries on that day to resoundingly call for the immediate removal of the sanctions.
The secretariat has also since been tasked to escalate the lobby with the current African Union chairperson, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who will be expected to raise the issue at the upcoming 74th United Nations General Assembly in September this year.
In a communiqué of the 39th Sadc Summit of the Heads of State and Government that was read out yesterday to mark the end of the indaba, Sadc Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax said the embargo was militating against economic growth in both Zimbabwe and the region.
“Summit noted the adverse impact on the economy of Zimbabwe and the region at large of prolonged economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate lifting of sanctions to facilitate socio-economic recovery in the country,” said Dr Tax.
“Summit declared the 25 October as the date on which Sadc member states can collectively voice their disapproval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms until the sanctions are lifted.”
President Mnangagwa told local media in an interview yesterday on the sidelines of the just-ended summit that the 16 member states, which were unanimous on the position that has been taken, would also engage the continental body to raise the issue with the United Nations.
“Well, as Zimbabwe, we were very pleased that this time around Sadc was unanimous on the issue of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. We resolved that we must pronounce ourselves as Sadc that sanctions on Zimbabwe should be lifted; that our secretariat should communicate that position of Sadc to the AU, so that the AU chairman, at the United Nations, can also pronounce the position of Sadc and the position of AU,” said the President.
“We are happy that again it was emphatic that there was no cause or need for sanctions to continue; after all, the basis for the sanctions are not there anymore, and they were illegal at the time when they were imposed by a few Western countries, America and the EU. So, we are very happy with that.”
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa returned home yesterday afternoon from the 39th SADC Summit in Tanzania where he assumed the chairmanship of Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Corporation.
He was received at the Robert Mugabe International Airport by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, Harare Metropolitan Minister Oliver Chidau, State Security Minister Owen Ncube, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, service chiefs, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana and senior Government officials.