US Denies Targeting Sanctions On ED Admin

Top US diplomat, Christopher Hunnicutt yesterday said the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) was not specifically targeted at President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration but the sanctions were meant as a push for quick implementation of key economic and political reforms.

Speaking during a public forum organised by Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) in Harare yesterday, Hunnicutt, maintained that Zidera was meant to improve Zimbabwe’s economic and political environment regardless of who was in power. He said its existence had been extended after a lengthy assessment which justified its amendment.

US Denies Targeting Sanctions On ED Admin

“When Zidera was created, it was such that it can be removed once government has made reforms to improve the economy, human rights conditions and its democratic State,” Hunnicutt said. “Zidera simply creates an outline on how the government of Zimbabwe can improve its policies and the fact that it was amended recently is not necessarily targeting this specific regime, but I think that it is meant to just make sure we want to see these changes being made.”

He commended the Mnangagwa administration for repealing the indigenisation law, but said there were other grey areas which still effected the existence of Zidera including the hosting of free, fair and credible elections.
Hunnicutt also said that it was important to separate Zidera from targeted sanctions as the two existed separately and should not be misconstrued for each other.

“To us we separate the two, Zidera and these targeted sanctions that focus on individuals and certain entities. Numbers have gone down because we now have about 56 entities and 85 individuals still on the targeted sanctions list and these will constantly go under review,” he said.