Zimbabweans on Saturday gathered in Harare to observe Anti-Sanctions Day, renewing calls for the unconditional removal of Western sanctions that have targeted the country for more than two decades. The event, held on the Southern African Development Community’s designated Anti-Sanctions Day of October 25, drew government officials, diplomats, business leaders, civil society representatives and ordinary citizens.
In a keynote address President Emmerson Mnangagwa urged the complete and unconditional lifting of sanctions, describing them as illegal measures meant to punish Zimbabwe for its land reform program and its assertion of sovereignty. He said the government remains committed to development despite the restrictions imposed by some Western countries.
Mnangagwa highlighted recent economic gains, saying the national economy is on a positive growth trajectory and pointing to progress toward food self-sufficiency. He said the government has implemented “comprehensive people-centered programs and projects” and pursued climate-proofing measures in agriculture to boost productivity.
The president said sanctions continue to block Zimbabwe’s access to flexible and reliable lines of credit, hampering the country’s ability to finance development at scale. He described the measures as having “fundamentally disrupted” access to global financing and said his administration has turned to home-grown and innovative development financing models to sustain national projects.
Despite sanctions and other shocks such as droughts and public health emergencies, Mnangagwa stressed Zimbabwe’s commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation in pursuit of peace, security, justice and equitable development.
Martin Zharare, executive director of Citizens Against Economic Sanctions, urged unconditional removal of sanctions, arguing they impede economic growth and prosperity. He said Zimbabweans reject any conditional or phased approaches to lifting the measures and stand firmly behind the government’s position.
The event was widely attended and featured contributions from across society, signaling broad domestic support for calls to end the sanctions.
Background and recent developments
Sanctions were first imposed on Zimbabwe in the early 2000s following land reforms that transferred land from a minority of white commercial farmers to indigenous black Zimbabweans. The United States enacted restrictions through the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act in 2001 and a sanctions regime was maintained in the years that followed.
In March last year the U.S. administration terminated the formal Zimbabwe sanctions program that had been in force since 2003 but simultaneously imposed targeted measures on 11 individuals under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, including President Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Speakers at the Harare rally framed the removal of sanctions as essential to unlocking international finance, expanding economic opportunity and accelerating development programs. The government signalled it will continue pursuing domestic financing solutions while maintaining diplomatic efforts to press for sanctions relief.
