Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
THE Anti-Sanctions Virtual Gala held over the weekend in Bulawayo sent a clear message that Zimbabwe and Sadc are calling for the removal of the illegal embargo.
The city played host to the Anti-Sanctions Gala at Rainbow Hotel where over 30 artistes performed. The gala was a joint venture between Government and the ruling party Zanu-PF.
Last year, Sadc declared October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day and the virtual gala was part of activities that the country lined up.
While performing, various artistes called for the removal of the sanctions that have not only hurt their sector, but Zimbabwe as a whole.
Addressing the nation through a video clip that was broadcast on ZBCtv just before the gala, President Emmerson Mnangagwa thanked the Sadc region for their support in calling for the removal of the sanctions.
“This bold decision, show of solidarity, is a reflection of the principled revolutionary character of our regional body which has consistently opposed injustices and oppression. This has its genesis from our rich liberation heritage and must embolden us to face head on, the neo colonial machinations by detractors and opponents of the ethos, values and ideologies of former liberation movements,” said the President.
Through another video clip that was broadcast just before the gala, Sadc executive secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax said the region was being weighed down by the economic embargoes placed on Zimbabwe by the West as punishment for the land reform programme.
“The sanctions have caused suffering among Zimbabweans and continue to have far reaching effects on Zimbabwe and the entire Sadc region. The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA), as was passed by the United States Congress in 2001 and in subsequent amendments, is particularly harmful to the economy of Zimbabwe and welfare of Zimbabweans.”
Reflecting on the successful holding of the gala, Director of Media Services in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Anywhere Mutambudzi said: “In terms of the message (of the gala), the event ended up triggering many questions in my mind. We grew up being told that America was a nation where individual and collective dreams have meaning. I keep thinking that given what sanctions are doing to Zimbabweans, why does the collective wisdom of the Americans not hit their conscience that they are directly or indirectly decimating generations of Zimbabweans to come.
“If independence and growth is at the heart of American prosperity, why don’t they wish and grant it to other emerging nations?”
Zimbabwe has been under illegal sanctions for the past 20 years following the successful land reform exercise at the turn of the millennium.
This year’s Anti-Sanctions theme is: “Resilience, Progress and Solidarity under an environment of sanctions.” — @bonganinkunzi
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