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The Southern Caucus of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) has during its meeting today resolved to table a motion calling for the upcoming sixth PAP’s First Ordinary Session to debate and take a resolution that will bolster efforts to end the Zimbabwe sanctions.

The Southern Caucus - which consists of Members of Parliament (MPs) from Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe - took the resolution following a request by the Zimbabwe delegation that the region join calls to denounce the targeted economic sanctions against its country. MPs from Angola and Lesotho who complete the 10 SADC Member States that form the Southern Caucus at the PAP were not in attendance.

Southern Caucus Chairperson, Ms Pemmy Majodina, said the economic, financial and trade sanctions unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America, United Kingdom and the European Union (since 2002) have had grave repercussions, not only to Zimbabwe’s economy and the fundamental rights of its people, but the entire SADC Region which continues to reel from the catastrophic effect of these sanctions.

“We are deeply concerned that these unjustified, unilateral sanctions, have a grave and untenably egregious impact to women, children and ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe,” said Ms Majodina, who is the Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the National Assembly.

The resolution was taken as the Caucus was concluding its two-day preparatory meeting for the PAP sixth Parliament’s First Ordinary Session - starting on Monday, 31 October until 13 November 2022 - to consider amendments that will close gaps in the current PAP Rules of Procedure.

Leader of Parliament of RSA’s five Member multi-party delegation, Mr Amos Masondo, first tabled a motion urging members of the PAP to demand the immediate lifting of the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe in October 2019 during the PAP’s 3rd Ordinary Session. The call was also echoed by former National Assembly Speaker, Ms Thandi Modise, at the 46th Plenary Assembly Session of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) held in Swakopmund, Namibia in December 2019.

Speaking at the meeting today Mr Masondo, who is also the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, said the Zimbabwe problems “whatever the nature and extent, should be left to the Zimbabweans to solve.”

“The notion of sanctions is misplaced, it has impacted negatively on the people especially the poorest of the poor. We call on these sanctions to be immediately lifted,” said Mr Masondo, who is also Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

Member of the Parliament delegation, Prof. Mathole Motshekga, said they are deeply concerned and disturbed by the unilateral sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. “We think this is a gross violation of international law and the rights of the people of Zimbabwe, and we think that this matter should be debated by the Pan-African Parliament and it must be escalated to the African Union and the United Nations,” said Dr Motshekga adding that when Ghana gained independence in 1958 and Cuba in 1959, the Western European powers realised that the decolonisation process is unstoppable “they quickly granted independence to their colonies in Africa but imposed Bills of Rights which protected the rights of the settlers to the land and properties of the African people and now Zimbabwe is punished for refusing to hand over its country and natural resources to the imperialist powers.”

The PAP is meeting in Midrand, Johannesburg, to consider, amongst others, proposals to amend the PAP Rules of Procedure, hold debates to review the performance of the PAP activities, the African Union, and the status of peace and security in Africa and also swear-in new Members.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the PAP Southern Caucus Chairperson, Pemmy Majodina