A new bill before the United States Congress aims to repeal long-standing Zimbabwe sanctions while tightening conditions on future International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank support for the country.

The proposed legislation would repeal the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001, a measure that has shaped two decades of United States (US) policy on Zimbabwe. However, the bill introduces a strict new requirement: Washington must oppose any new or expanded IMF or World Bank lending to Zimbabwe unless, within a year of approval, the Zimbabwean government arranges to pay all outstanding arrears to farmers dispossessed under its violent land-grab policies of the past two decades. These arrears must be paid in full, adjusted for inflation, and cannot be settled using Zimbabwe-issued securities.

Should Zimbabwe fail to meet this deadline, the bill compels the US to withdraw support for further IMF or World Bank funding to the country. The move signals a significant shift in US policy, aiming to encourage financial accountability in Harare while drawing that country out of what has been a deepening Chinese orbit. Washington hopes the bill will deliver renewed pressure on Zimbabwe to resolve its compensation obligations while opening a path for normalised economic relations with the United States.