US Govt Ready To Partner With Zimbabwe

The United States government says it stands ready for a “constructive relationship” with Zimbabwe adding the latest developments presented an opportunity for businesses to explore possible opportunities in the southern African country.
This week, the US President Joe Biden terminated the Zimbabwe sanctions programme while the country’s Treasury imposed fresh restrictive measures under the Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 tightening sanctions on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, business tycoon Kuda Tagwirei and others they allege were involved in human rights violations and corruption a claim dismissed by the Harare administration.
Biden signed an Executive Order (E.O.) terminating the national emergency with respect to Zimbabwe and revoking the executive orders that have authorized Zimbabwe-specific sanctions.
This means the economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), pursuant to the Zimbabwe sanctions programme are no longer in effect and for the first time in over 20 years, the US removed one of the key impediments in Foreign Direct Investment into Zimbabwe.
US Embassy Zimbabwe Chargé d’Affaires Laurence Socha said the latest development was an opportunity for business to have a “new look at Zimbabwe.”
“We see it as an opportunity for businesses to have a new look at Zimbabwe,” he told journalists yesterday. “It was hard under a previous programme titled the Zimbabwe Sanctions Programme to get away from perceptions that you could not do business in Zimbabwe. That is not true. We hope that business and financial institutions and investors have a new look at Zimbabwe market and connections with its people.”
“Lastly we see this as an opening for a constructive relationship between the people of US and Zimbabwe so that all 16mn people here have the opportunity to prosper.”
In a March 4 letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Termination of Emergency with Respect to the Situation in Zimbabwe, the US President said: “Although I continue to be concerned with the situation in Zimbabwe particularly with respect to acts of violence and other human rights abuses against political opponents and with respect to public corruption, including misuse of public authority, I have determined that the declaration of a national emergency in Executive Order 13288 is no longer needed.”
He however, said the sanctions will remain on those alleged to be perpetrating violence and involved in suspected corruption acts.
This has drawn the ire of Zanu PF officials who feel the continuation of sanctions on the party leader and those close to him despite removing on others was a sign Zimbabwe remain sanctioned.