Speaking during a meeting between Zimbabwean and South African government officials in Harare on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said South Africa is ready “to render support to Zimbabwe within our means”.
“We want to see meaningful support being given by international development partners to Zimbabwe because Zimbabwe does deserve the support that the world can give,” Ramaphosa told the Zimbabwe-South Africa Bi-National Commission.
The South African leader bemoaned the continued existence of economic sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe, saying the embargo was hurting ordinary Zimbabweans as well as business.
The West, led by the United States, has maintained “targeted” sanctions against top Zimbabwean regime officials and businesses linked to the ruling ZANU PF.
Ramaphosa and fellow Southern African Development Community leaders have been calling for the removal of the sanctions, which they argue are making it impossible for the Harare authorities to revive the economy.
President Donald Trump extended US sanctions against Zimbabwe by another year last week, a move that is seen as worsening Harare’s ability to access funding from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
The West, however, insists that the sanctions would only be lifted once President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government implements political reforms, including opening up the democratic space and allowing the opposition to operate freely.
The pledge by Ramaphosa and the call for the lifting of sanctions come against the background of shortages of both the local surrogate currency called bond notes and US dollars in Zimbabwe to import fuel and raw materials.