THE piecemeal removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States has been described as a step in the right direction, although the country prefers to have the illegal embargo completely removed.

In an interview with The Herald yesterday after the closing media conference at the 56th UNECA Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said he was hopeful that in future, all the sanctions would be removed to allow the country to chart its developmental trajectory unhindered.

It is a step in the direction; remember we have been in an impasse for quite a while and (when) we see this move now; I think it’s a step in the right direction.

“Of course, we would have wanted to see more, but this is what we have now and hopefully, the next time around we can move to the next level,” said Prof Ncube.

He added that the partial removal of sanctions could open a window for Zimbabwe to engage the international community further for Harare to “have access to resources for its economic agenda”.

State media