The Sunday Mail
Norman Muchemwa
Relations between Zimbabwe and the United States are set to normalise as there are high-level discussions going on between the two Governments, United States Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, Mr Tibor Nagy, has said.
The two countries have had frost relations after the United States joined a bilateral land dispute between Harare and London and imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2001.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is heightening efforts to engage and re-engage bilateral and multilateral partners to reintegrate the country into the global family of nations and pave way for investment after almost two decades of isolation.
In June, Mr Nagy met President Mnangagwa on the side-lines of the US-Africa summit that was held in Mozambique.
Responding to The Sunday Mail during a telephonic media briefing at the US embassy in Harare Wednesday, Mr Nagy confirmed the ongoing dialogue without elaborating further.
He said he is hopeful there can be normalised relations between Harare and Washington.
“We have dialogue at (the) highest level with your Government and the dialogue has been very frank and honest I am not getting into details because those are private discussions,” said Mr Nagy.
He added, “Your leadership understands what the United States is looking for before we can begin to have a normal, constructive positive relationship with Zimbabwe.
“We have very frank and open discussions between ourselves and the highest levels of your Government, so hopefully again, my dream and prayer is that we can have fully normalised positive relations with every country in Africa and Zimbabwe is on the top of my wish list because of the personal relationship I have with your wonderful people and beautiful country.”
Mr Nagy, who helped set up the first US embassy in Harare, said Zimbabwe has a special place in his heart.
“I have told you guys before that I have a very special place in my heart for Zimbabwe because not only that I helped open the first embassy in Harare shortly after the Lancaster House agreement in 1980.
“My vehicle was the second one to cross the Chirundu Bridge from Zambia to Zimbabwe. My kids, the first triplets were born in independent Zimbabwe in Harare, so I really appreciate the country, I appreciate the positive attributes,” said Mr Nagy.
However, Mr Nagy denied the existence of sanctions instead preferring to call them targeted sanctions despite his admission to the existence Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery (Zidera) Act of 2001.
Zidera was crafted in 2001 and was amended in 2018.
“Unfortunately, we have a problematic relationship with Zimbabwe, there is the Zidera Act which restricts to a certain extent what the United States can and cannot do. However, there is a false narrative that I want to correct, there are some people who say the United States has sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe
“We do not have sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe, we have sanctions against certain individuals and corporations, but not against the country. There is nothing that can stop US businesses from investing in Zimbabwe and going to Zimbabwe,” said Mr Nagy.
Zidera prohibits American citizens and businesses to do any business transaction with Zimbabwe.
Reality on the ground has proved that the so-called targeted sanctions are hurting ordinary citizens and Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and African Member States are not being spared either.
This has prompted Sadc to declare October 25 as Anti-sanctions Day, during their 39th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government in August in Tanzania.
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has already activated the anti-sanctions campaign.
