(MENAFN) Zimbabwe's dominant political party, ZANU–PF, has expressed that South Africa should not succumb to fear over a proposed piece of US legislation that could grant President Donald Trump expanded authority—or “superpowers”—to enforce penalties on officials within the African National Congress (ANC).

Christopher Mutsvangwa, the ZANU–PF representative, criticized the United States, asserting that it should not “misdirect itself” in managing its foreign policy regarding South Africa.

He argued that such matters could be settled through peaceful dialogue rather than punitive actions.

“These issues could be resolved without resorting to sanctions. But if America decides to go its own way, so be it - we’ve had over two decades of experience dealing with sanctions,” he stated.

Mutsvangwa shared these remarks on Friday while speaking at the ANC’s 2025 Liberation Movements Summit held in Kempton Park.

He noted that Washington's prior restrictions on Zimbabwe had failed to halt the nation's development.

“They have not stopped Zimbabwe from making progress. On the contrary, we are now potentially the most dynamic economy on the African continent,” Mutsvangwa told a news agency.

He further highlighted that Zimbabwe’s economic evolution includes building a steel sector comparable to global standards.

“Who would have thought that Zimbabwe would now be developing a third-world steel industry - one that even America might look at with a bit of jealousy?”

In the previous year, the US had implemented punitive measures against Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, citing grave abuses of human rights following his contested win in the 2023 elections.

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