Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021

Zimbabwe has since 2001 been under targeted sanctions imposed by the USA, European Union, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada among others. This article explores factors surrounding the failure of these sanctions to achieve their intended goals between 2001 and 2021. Arguments were drawn fro...

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Main Author: Joshua Chakawa
Other Authors: Midlands State University
Format: research article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Online. 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5308
https://doi.org/10.1080/23802014.2022.2080248
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author Joshua Chakawa
author2 Midlands State University
author_facet Midlands State University
Joshua Chakawa
author_sort Joshua Chakawa
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description Zimbabwe has since 2001 been under targeted sanctions imposed by the USA, European Union, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada among others. This article explores factors surrounding the failure of these sanctions to achieve their intended goals between 2001 and 2021. Arguments were drawn from investigating circumstances under which sanctions were imposed, their nature, sanctions busting methods deployed, and implications for the targets. The regime of former president Robert Mugabe and that of his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa controversially remained unmoved despite these restrictions. The ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), deliberately failed to meet benchmarks for the removal of sanctions. To understand the relationship between sanctions and targeted regime endurance, use was made of the game theory. The study found that ruling party political elites have circumvented the effects of sanctions at a heavy cost to the populace. This research is important because it demonstrates that sanctions do not harm their targets but instead pauperise, the majority which they meant to protect and prolong the political life of the sanctioned regime. The act of sanctioning therefore needs to be reconsidered.
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spelling ir-11408-53082022-12-16T11:28:43Z Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021 Joshua Chakawa Midlands State University Sanctions sanctions busting human rights austerity measures second republic Zimbabwe has since 2001 been under targeted sanctions imposed by the USA, European Union, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada among others. This article explores factors surrounding the failure of these sanctions to achieve their intended goals between 2001 and 2021. Arguments were drawn from investigating circumstances under which sanctions were imposed, their nature, sanctions busting methods deployed, and implications for the targets. The regime of former president Robert Mugabe and that of his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa controversially remained unmoved despite these restrictions. The ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), deliberately failed to meet benchmarks for the removal of sanctions. To understand the relationship between sanctions and targeted regime endurance, use was made of the game theory. The study found that ruling party political elites have circumvented the effects of sanctions at a heavy cost to the populace. This research is important because it demonstrates that sanctions do not harm their targets but instead pauperise, the majority which they meant to protect and prolong the political life of the sanctioned regime. The act of sanctioning therefore needs to be reconsidered. 2022-12-16T11:28:43Z 2022-12-16T11:28:43Z 2022-07-03 research article https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5308 https://doi.org/10.1080/23802014.2022.2080248 en Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal 2379-9978 open Taylor & Francis Online.
spellingShingle Sanctions
sanctions busting
human rights
austerity measures
second republic
Joshua Chakawa
Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
title Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
title_full Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
title_fullStr Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
title_full_unstemmed Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
title_short Why sanctions have not worked: Zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
title_sort why sanctions have not worked: zimbabwe’s experience from 2001-2021
topic Sanctions
sanctions busting
human rights
austerity measures
second republic
url https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5308
https://doi.org/10.1080/23802014.2022.2080248
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