International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor says it’s important for South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to assist Zimbabwe in its moves toward economic recovery.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on Tuesday hosted a symposium in Pretoria on how Zimbabwe can recover economically.
Pandor says it’s not enough to make calls and resolutions on the lifting of economic sanctions.
“We regard it as part of our modest contribution. To begin a process, of articulating solutions to the many complex challenges. Which we believe will be resolved primarily by the people of Zimbabwe. With the assistance of all the countries in the SADC region. There is no sense of arrogance that we have the solution as South Africa. ”
Zimbabwe has shortages of food and fuel.
South Africa supports the call for western countries to lift sanctions still imposed on Zimbabwe. The purpose of the symposium is to stimulate discussion on what can be done to kick-start the growth of the Zimbabwean economy following the meltdown.
Last month Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his country deserves a chance to develop and recover from the current economic crisis. He said the lifting of economic sanctions by the United States, Britain and the European Union (EU) will allow them to start rebuilding.
Mnangagwa made the remarks after an anti-sanctions march in Harare which was attended by more than 300 people.
“The EU has begun progressively removing the sanctions that it imposed on us, therefore, allowing us access to developmental assistance under the EU development fund. Complementing these actions is an ongoing political dialogue to strengthen our bilateral cooperation with them. We call on the United States to unconditionally remove the sanctions imposed on our country,” said Mnangagwa.
