Vusumuzi Dube
Lobby group Citizens Against Sanctions is mobilising at least one million Zimbabweans to sign a petition to push for the removal of the economic embargoes that some Western countries imposed on the countrytwo decades ago.
In a move expected to gather more citizens to sign the petition, Zanu PF Politburo members appended their signatures on the document on Tuesday shortly before the 379th session of the party’s highest decision making body of the ruling party.
SADC countries in 2019 declared 25 October as solidarity day against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and resolved to carry out various activities in their respective countries to resoundingly call for their removal.
Executive director of the Citizens Against Sanctions group, Martin Zharare told the media that the signatures will be delivered to the United States embassy.
“As citizens of Zimbabwe we said let us go to each and every person so that they can sign a petition that we are calling the 2024 Anti-sanctions Petition by the people of Zimbabwe.
“We are collecting a million signatures, which will be a show of force to the world that the people of Zimbabwe are declaring and they are saying sanctions must be removed unconditionally. These million signatures, we will ensure that they will be delivered to the US embassy, to all the Western capitals to show that the people of Zimbabwe are behind the President and the Second Republic when he is calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions,” he said.
“We are very happy that the people of Zimbabwe have started to sign their signatures uncoerced, to say sanctions must be removed,” he added.
Politburo member and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said they subscribed to the petition.
“We are calling upon the United States of America to remove the sanctions so that we can become part of the global village on an equal footing with everyone else,” he said after signing.
Nyanga South legislator Supa Mandiwanzira said sanctions should be removed because they have impacted the lives of all citizens.
“They undermine the growth and success of every Zimbabwean. The call for those sanctions to be removed is very important. We must continue to chant the message that sanctions must go. I would love for every Zimbabwean, regardless of politics, standing up with the country to say we don’t need those sanctions,” said the Nyanga South MP.
Senate president Marble Chinomona also signed the petition to add her weight to the push for the removal of sanctions on the country.
New Ziana
Online Reporter