Page 41 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 29

Leadership

and suffering that would come from making the maternal deaths in labor, and lack of medical

Zimbabwean economy scream, in order to care. Additionally, the sanctions also led to the
separate the people of Zimbabwe from ZANU PF. displacement of approximately 3 million refugees
This is a clear indication that there was a into mainly neighboring countries.

“deliberate intent” by the sanctions sponsors to
persecute the Zimbabwean people and force them These figures highlight the devastating
to reject their government and undertake forced consequences of the persecution of ordinary
and undemocratic regime change. This is a clear Zimbabweans, whose daily lives were disrupted
gross violation of human rights and, in the eyes and whose futures were jeopardized by illegal

of other human rights experts, it is persecution of coercive economic measures. The impact of the
civilians, which constitutes a crime against sanctions on Zimbabwean citizens was eventually
humanity. also investigated by the UN Human Rights

Council in September 2021, which found the
With ZASM’s activism raising more awareness following:
against sanctions, U.S. alternative media outlets
like Break Through TV created documentaries, - Zimbabwe has lost well over U.S.$100 billion
U.S. organisations like CASI held tribunals, and in revenue and development over the past

many international humanitarian lawyers like nineteen years because of the sanctions.
John Philpot of Sanctions Kill, grew interested in - The nation has been deprived of over $28
this humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. With the billion in aid, loans, and developmental

mobilization of SADC, more nations, human assistance which should have served as colonial
rights lawyers, and humanitarian activists began reparations.
to voice concerns over the scope and agenda of - The country’s foreign currency reserves were
the U.S. sanctions, arguing that the very nature of totally depleted by the prohibition of international
the sanctions was resulting in a human rights trade, blocking of repatriation of export

catastrophe within Zimbabwe, as the sanctions payments, and confiscation of the nation’s foreign
were inevitably affecting Zimbabweans from all assets.
walks of life. - The significant progress that Zimbabwe had

made in the development of infrastructure, as
In terms of impact, the imposition of these illegal well as health, education, and other social service
measures on Zimbabwe had a profound impact on delivery systems between its independence in
Zimbabwe’s ability to provide essential services 1980 and 1999 when sanctions began informally,
like healthcare, education, and basic needs such has been severely reversed due to the lost

as food and clean water, which was severely revenue.
restricted. Reports from international - The proportion of the population in extreme
organisations and the local death registry indicate poverty rose in the aftermath of sanctions, while

that over 1.3 million Zimbabweans lost their lives child mortality, maternal deaths, and deaths from
due to the compounded effects of these sanctions, curable diseases increased exponentially due to a
which included starvation, waterborne diseases, lack of medication, medical equipment, and

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