SWEDEN on Friday last week announced the phasing out of its bilateral development co-operation strategy with Zimbabwe by August 31, 2026.
The decision, the Nordic country said, was in response to its wider foreign policy priorities, including emerging security and “defence challenges in our neighbourhood”.
It also stems from the implementation of the Swedish government’s reform agenda for development co-operation, which aims to sharpen the focus of Sweden’s development co-operation and reduce the number of bilateral development co-operation strategies.
Other countries on the continent affected by this decision are Liberia, Mozambique and Tanzania.
Since Sweden’s embassy in Harare has long been tied to development co-operation, Stockholm resolved to close its diplomatic mission.
However, the Nordic country said the decision to end bilateral co-operation was not linked to any particular development or incident in Zimbabwe.
It has, however, signalled willingness to continue collaborating on sustainable mining, climate and environmental issues, democracy and human rights.
Sweden has been one of the main donors, channelling resources to democratic participation and civil society, reproductive healthcare, media and free flow of information, infectious disease control, and family planning.
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It has also supported programmes that advocate for an end to domestic violence against girls and women, supported waste management, basic life skills for youth, responsive business conduct and mineral/mining policy and administrative management.
Yet this withdrawal of aid is not unprecedented. Barely a year ago, the United States cut aid under Donald Trump’s revived “America First” doctrine, shutting down USAid operations in Zimbabwe. The health sector — already underfunded and far from meeting the Abuja Declaration’s 15% budget allocation target — was among the hardest hit.
The aid withdrawal by the United States and Sweden offers tough lessons: no nation can build its future on donor aid.
The withdrawal floodgates have been opened. More countries will cut back on aid as they prioritise domestic threats over global generosity.
The message is clear: countries have none but themselves to invest in social sectors such as education and health.
For Zimbabwe, the lesson is clear. No one is coming to save us.
Zimbabwe has the mineral wealth, the land, the human capital and the economic potential to fund its own development. What it lacks is a coherent system that channels these assets to national wellbeing.
A resource-rich nation should not be extending a perpetual begging bowl.
Instead, it must put shoulder to the wheel and cultivate a robust and transparent domestic resource mobilisation strategy. This does not mean introducing more taxes which punish the tax compliant.
Rather, it must work on expanding the tax base by creating an environment where more economic actors willingly enter the formal system.
Far too many players remain outside taxation and authorities have made little effort to bring them on board.
The withdrawal of aid must be a wake-up call for Zimbabwe to look internally for support.
Sweden's decision to leave should prompt Zimbabwe's departure from reliance on donors.
The withdrawal of aid must, therefore, be a wake-up call — not a crisis. As Swedish aid ceases, so too must Zimbabwe’s reliance on donors. Our future can only be built on our own resources and resolve.
