Zim GBC News | Political Correspondent
Recent calls by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema for the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe have been labelled as “odd” and a form of “repentance” by commentator Rutendo Benson Matinyarare, who points out that the appeal comes 20 months after the main U.S. sanctions program was terminated.
The critique follows President Hichilema’s public stance advocating for the lifting of the remaining targeted measures, known as Magnitsky sanctions, which still apply to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Vice President, the First Lady, the Minister of Defence, and several prominent business figures and their companies.
Matinyarare expressed skepticism about the timing, noting that the Zambian leader was silent during the peak of the sanctions pressure.
“It is rather odd to hear the Zambian President calling for the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe 20 months after Joe Biden ended the Zimbabwe Sanctions Program on 4 March 2024,” Matinyarare stated.
He further questioned the past stance of the Zambian administration, adding,
“Yet, while we were fighting sanctions from 2018 to 2024, he never once called for their removal. In fact, his mouthpiece, Joseph Kalimbwe, consistently denied that sanctions on Zimbabwe even existed.”
The commentator also raised concerns about Zambia’s geopolitical alignment, suggesting that President Hichilema “allowed the U.S.’s AFRICOM to establish a military foothold in Zambia during the 2023 elections.”
Despite these criticisms, Matinyarare acknowledged the shift in position.
“Nevertheless, it is good that he has now repented and is asking for the removal of the Magnitsky sanctions,” he said.
However, he suggested the change of heart might be overdue, pointing to Zimbabwe’s burgeoning economic and tourism prospects.
“It may, however, be too late, as U.S. magazines have already listed Zimbabwe as the top destination to visit in 2025, and the country has become the fastest-growing economy in SADC precisely because national sanctions are gone,”
Matinyarare concluded, highlighting the nation’s positive trajectory despite the remaining targeted measures.
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