The Zimbabwean government is considering dispatching a senior parliamentary delegation to the US Congress to advocate for the repeal of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act (ZDERA). First enacted in 2001 under President George W. Bush, ZDERA has served as the basis for US sanctions, which Zimbabwe asserts have significantly hampered its economic growth and foreign investment opportunities.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi revealed that Parliament is pushing to send legislators to Capitol Hill to address the sanctions’ negative impact. “Parliament is working to engage their US counterparts and highlight these issues,” Minister Ziyambi said, noting that Zimbabwe’s Foreign Ministry has been facilitating dialogue with Washington.
ZANU-PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi added that the motion has bipartisan support, with a planned delegation aiming to meet with US officials to communicate the sanctions’ true effect on Zimbabwean citizens.
Separately, Minister Ziyambi will lead a delegation to a United Nations conference in Geneva next month. The meeting, hosted by the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral sanctions, will address human rights impacts of such measures. Ziyambi underscored that Zimbabwe will use this platform to highlight the sanctions’ harm to ordinary people and argue that they fail as effective statecraft.
This diplomatic push coincides with the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) recent Anti-Sanctions Day, during which regional leaders voiced solidarity with Zimbabwe and condemned the sanctions. Zimbabwe’s combined lobbying efforts in Washington and Geneva aim to increase international support, improve economic conditions, and boost investment.
