Debt Management Strategy

Zimbabwe remains ensnared in a profound sovereign debt crisis that hinders its economic recovery and sustainable development. The country's debt overhang continues to undermine fiscal stability, with the national debt surpassing US$20 billion. Despite pledges of commitment to debt clearance, Zimbabwe’s efforts are slow and encumbered by internal and external challenges, including controversial domestic reforms and complex international relations. This update delves into the ongoing struggles in Zimbabwe’s re-engagement efforts as it seeks to manage its debt crisis while navigating international financial obligations and domestic reforms.

Between 2013 and 2016, three Mozambican government-controlled enterprises discreetly borrowed $2 billion from major international banks to buy a tuna-fishing fleet and surveillance vessels. Mozambique’s then finance minister, Manuel Chang, signed guarantees that the government would repay the loans, which were critical reassurance to lenders who would otherwise have avoided the brand-new enterprises. The companies defaulted on the loans, leaving Mozambique with a $2 billion debt, about 12% of the nation’s gross domestic product at the time. A country that the World Bank had designated one of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies for two decades was abruptly plunged into financial upheaval. The scandal was only uncovered in 2016 after Mozambique defaulted on these hidden debts, prompting the International Monetary Fund and international donors to halt funding and plunging the country into an economic crisis. The case of the Republic of Mozambique v. Credit Suisse International and others [2024] dated July 29, 2024 and heard in the High Court of England and Wales (Commercial Court) has reinvigorated the prospect of pursuing justice in foreign courts, especially in cases involving complex international financial misconduct and irresponsible lending practices.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

While Ghana has completed three major debt restructuring operations comprising of domestic debt restructuring, external bilateral debt restructuring, and commercial bondholders debt restructuring, Ghana’s economy is unable to take any more uncertainty with regards to whether the terms of the MoU agreement and the $13 billion agreement in principle are official and agreed to.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.