Ramaphosa demands unconditional removal of Zimbabwe sanctions, says entire SADC region is paying the price

By Tichaona Katsvamutima

South African President and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa has renewed calls for the unconditional removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe, warning that the restrictions are burdening ordinary citizens and affecting economic development across southern Africa.

In a statement marking SADC Anti-Sanctions Day on Sunday, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the regional bloc’s longstanding position that sanctions against Zimbabwe have consequences extending beyond its borders.

“Today, our Regional Economic Community sends one message to the world: we seek the complete and unconditional lifting of sanctions on our sister nation, the Republic of Zimbabwe,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa argued that the restrictions were placing additional pressure on Zimbabwe at a time when African economies were already confronting global geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

“The sanctions imposed on the Republic of Zimbabwe therefore create an additional burden for its people amid an already challenging continental and international environment,” he said.

The South African leader linked Zimbabwe’s economic fortunes to regional stability and integration, arguing that economic pressures affecting one SADC member state could undermine development across the bloc.

“SADC remains resolute in calling for the complete lifting of sanctions against the Republic of Zimbabwe and will pursue this cause with the utmost commitment, in the true spirit of regionalism and collective regional integration,” Ramaphosa declared.

He stressed that regional integration should support prosperity among all member states, “particularly since sanctions against Zimbabwe are essentially sanctions against the entire SADC region.”

The remarks reflect growing emphasis within SADC on collective economic development, particularly given Zimbabwe’s extensive trade, investment and migration links with neighbouring countries.

South Africa, the region’s most industrialised economy, maintains significant commercial and social ties with Zimbabwe, making the country’s economic challenges a matter of wider regional concern.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration maintains that Western restrictions have constrained access to international financing, discouraged investment and complicated efforts to rebuild the economy.

Western governments have historically defended targeted sanctions as measures directed at individuals and entities accused of corruption, human rights abuses and undermining democratic processes, rather than restrictions intended to punish ordinary Zimbabweans.

The sanctions framework has also undergone significant changes.

In March 2024, the United States terminated its Zimbabwe-specific sanctions programme while introducing targeted measures against selected individuals and entities under a separate framework. The European Union has similarly modified its restrictive measures over the years.

These changes have added complexity to the diplomatic dispute, with Zimbabwe and SADC continuing to demand the removal of remaining restrictions while Western governments maintain that targeted measures serve accountability objectives.

Ramaphosa nevertheless signalled that SADC would sustain diplomatic pressure, urging countries maintaining sanctions against Zimbabwe to prioritise dialogue rather than confrontation.

“We reiterate our wish for those countries that have imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe to give pride of place to dialogue in order to secure the lifting of these unwarranted sanctions,” he said.

The SADC Chairperson placed particular emphasis on the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans, arguing that international decisions concerning sanctions should consider their social and economic consequences.

“More importantly, they must do what is right for the seventeen million people who make up the Zimbabwean nation,” Ramaphosa said.

“The time has indeed come for the world to give Zimbabwe complete freedom from sanctions—and, with it, the chance to transform its people’s lives and livelihoods socially and economically.”

This year’s commemoration was held under the theme, “Leveraging Regional Integration and Global Partnerships for Economic Transformation Beyond Illegal Sanctions,” reflecting SADC’s emphasis on strengthening economic cooperation, investment and international partnerships.

Observed annually on October 25 following a decision by SADC leaders in 2019, Anti-Sanctions Day has become a platform for regional solidarity with Zimbabwe and renewed diplomatic appeals for the removal of restrictions.