A sweeping new legislative proposal introduced in the United States House of Representatives has raised the prospect of overturning more than two decades of sanctions on Zimbabwe, signaling what could be the most dramatic policy shift in Washington’s approach to Harare since the early 2000s.
The draft legislation, titled the Department of State Policy Provisions Act, seeks to repeal the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA), the statute that has served as the cornerstone of U.S. sanctions against Zimbabwe. Enacted during the George W. Bush administration, ZDERA empowered the U.S. to block loans, debt relief, and other forms of financial assistance to Zimbabwe from multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). For more than twenty years, this law has effectively isolated Zimbabwe from the global financial system, creating significant economic strain and limiting the country’s access to international credit.
While the proposed repeal of ZDERA represents a major concession, the Bill introduces fresh conditions tied to Zimbabwe’s contentious land reform program. Specifically, it states that the U.S. will not support any new or expanded IMF or World Bank financing for Zimbabwe unless the government commits to settling outstanding compensation claims owed to white former commercial farmers, as outlined in the Global Compensation Deed. According to this agreement, Zimbabwe is required to make full payments, adjusted for inflation, within 12 months of receiving international funding approval. The law further specifies that “compensation shall not be in the form of Zimbabwe-issued securities,” meaning that only direct monetary payments would be acceptable.
To date, Zimbabwe has disbursed more than US$20 million in partial compensation, with some recipients acknowledging receipt of funds during side discussions at the African Development Bank’s annual meetings in Abidjan earlier this year. Nevertheless, billions remain outstanding, and the conditions placed in the new U.S. Bill underline Washington’s insistence that financial reparations form part of any path toward normalized relations.
In a section of the Bill, legislators wrote: “In general – The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA Act), as amended, Public Law 107-99 (115 Statute 962) is hereby repealed.” Another clause read: “Failure to comply with this provision shall result in an immediate cessation of all United States support for any further funding from these institutions.”
The Bill was introduced by Congressman Brian Mast, a Republican, and forms part of a wide-ranging blueprint for U.S. foreign policy and State Department operations. Beyond Zimbabwe, the legislation covers strategic competition with China, artificial intelligence governance, embassy security, and global public diplomacy efforts. It has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for debate.
Reactions to the proposed repeal have been mixed. Political analyst Mr. Dereck Goto described the move as historic, emphasizing that Washington’s acknowledgment that ZDERA was enacted in response to Zimbabwe’s land reform policies — and not human rights violations as previously claimed — reveals the law’s true intent. “Zimbabweans, history is being written before our very eyes,” he remarked. “After nearly a quarter of a century of cruelty and vindictiveness, the United States Congress has moved to repeal the notorious Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA). This is no small matter. ZDERA was not a mere law – it was a noose around our economy, a chain designed to break our will, and a punishment for one crime alone – reclaiming our land from the coloniser.”
Yet Goto also criticized the new conditions attached to the repeal. “Even in repeal, Washington cannot hide its obsession — they attach conditions linked to the so-called Global Compensation Deed, seeking to make us pay for repossessing what was stolen,” he argued, framing the requirements as a continuation of punitive measures.
Another commentator, Mr. Elton Ziki, echoed these concerns, suggesting that while the repeal represents progress, it remains overshadowed by U.S. insistence on farmer compensation. “For them, as the House of Representatives and Congress, to be sitting to review the impact of their sanctions, and then sugarcoat to say that we are going to be dealing with the repealing of ZDERA, but we put conditions on that process… This is very uncalled for in terms of diplomacy,” Ziki stated. He emphasized that Zimbabwe has sought to maintain a foreign policy of “friend to all and enemy to none,” yet finds itself subjected to intrusive demands on its domestic land policy.
Ziki further underscored the unresolved legacy of colonial dispossession, arguing that reparations and broader historical injustices remain unaddressed. “We cannot be talking about compensation for the benefit of white farmers who invaded this land, yet we still have issues of reparations, issues that we suffered as a nation due to colonialism and the expropriation of our land,” he added.
The Bill’s introduction signals the beginning of what could be a contentious debate in Washington, with potential consequences not only for Zimbabwe’s economic recovery but also for broader U.S.-Africa relations. If passed, the repeal of ZDERA may open new opportunities for Zimbabwe to re-enter the international financial system, but the conditions imposed could also deepen long-standing tensions over land reform, sovereignty, and historical justice.
