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Talent Chimutambgi Arts Reporter
This year’s anti-sanctions concert was commemorated in style, with artistes adding their voices through music and dance to express their resentment against the illegal sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by the West.
The commemorations saw the rest of SADC and the African Union calling for the unconditional and immediate removal of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.
This year’s commemorations were running under the theme, “Enhancing Zimbabwe’s Resilience through Economic Development and Engagement and Re-engagement”, which dovetailed with President Mnangagwa’s policy of rekindling multilateral ties with other countries.
Thousands of revellers on Tuesday thronged Chitungwiza’s Aquatic Complex to show solidarity in calling for the immediate lifting of the embargo that has brought unnecessary suffering to innocent citizens, including musicians.
The Anti-Sanctions Day was a SADC brainchild adopted in 2019 to create a platform for the African countries to express their dissatisfaction over the illegal sanctions regime.
The sanctions have adversely affected the general populace with ripple effects being felt in every facet of the economy in Zimbabwe, ranging from basic services such as water, health as well as education.
Speaking to mark the start of the concert, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the embargoes were imposed on the country as punitive measures after the Government led the reclaiming of the land as part of the country’s domestic policy.
Minister Mutsvangwa, who was accompanied by her husband Dr Christopher Mutsvangwa, said the move by the West was meant to influence mayhem in Zimbabwe so that people would rise against the legitimate Government after bearing the brunt of the sanctions.
“I want to implore every one of us here tonight and those watching on TV at home to rise and demand the absolute removal of illegal sanctions,” she said.
“These sanctions are designed to make the people of Zimbabwe turn against each other and make our lives and livelihoods unbearable. So, this platform tonight gives all of us the opportunity to send a clear message to the world that the coercive measures Must Go. That the Illegal sanctions Must be Removed Unconditionally.
“Let us all add our voices to the voices from SADC, the AU and other progressive forces that have resolutely stood united with us in fighting for the removal of the illegal sanctions.
“We are commemorating the SADC Anti-Sanctions Day tonight through song, poetry, solidarity messages and dance, and indeed we will dance the night away.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the country had recorded significant developments under the leadership of President Mnangagwa despite the existence of punitive measures.
“But under the servant leadership of His Excellency, President Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa, we have remained resolute and resilient and forged ahead with our development agenda as espoused in the National Development Strategy 1, premised on domestic resource mobilisation,” she said.
“We have recorded tremendous milestones in the last four years and it does not require rocket science to know that we could have achieved much more without the illegal sanctions.”
The concert had musicians of diverse genres, as well as poets and dancers of various groups and they all added flavour in bringing solidarity messages against the illegal sanctions.
Musicians such as Minister Michael Mahendere, Dorcas Moyo, Agatha Murudzwa, Mathias Mhere and Munyaradzi Munodawafa lit up the stage with their gospel songs, as prayers to get God’s attention in the cause against the illegal sanctions.
Other genre champions from sungura and Zimdancehall also added their voices to the call against the illegal sanctions.
Murudzwa said the sanctions affected the arts industry adversely, impeding the growth of the sector.
She said had it not been for the embargo, the arts industry was poised for a tremendous growth that would have augmented the country’s economic development.
“The economic embargoes have relegated our prestige as gospel artistes,” she said. “Besides being an artiste, I need money to maintain my value, so these sanctions that were imposed on us by the West are killing our economy.
“They are thwarting our potential to grow as artistes. What we need is a flowing economy which is very stable, which is also good for the Christian world.
“These sanctions must go, we need to reclaim our original status as Zimbabweans when we used to be the breadbasket of Africa.”
Mhere thanked the Government and the rest of the SADC region for coming up with a platform to express sentiments against the impeding sanctions.
“I want to thank the Government and the Sadc region for recognising us to get such a stage to express our dissatisfaction against the illegal sanctions,” he said.
“They are not good for us as musicians, we can’t hold shows and realise profit to earn a living out of it. We need money to support our families as well as paying band members. If we are to compare the status of foreign musicians to local ones, there is a great difference, so this is a clear message of the effects of the ruinous sanctions.”
Another singer, Andy Muridzo, who draws much support from the young generation, did not hide his emotions against the punitive sanctions.
“As artistes, it is our duty to spread the emotional message to the intended destination,” he said. “Today we are saying enough is enough, we cannot continue in such a situation we want to be free from the yoke of the sanctions.”
Sandra Ndebele, who gave an exceptional performance at the concert, chanted war cries against the illegal sanctions.
Ndebele was later joined on stage by Minister Mutsvangwa and her husband Cde Mutsvangwa, as well as her Deputy Kindness Paradza, which led the Aquatic Complex auditorium to reverberate with cheering.
Upcoming gospel musician, Munodawafa, would not be deterred from express his resentment towards the economic embargoes through music.
He played the keyboard and awakened the revellers who were dosing owing to dancing fatigue and brought them closer to the stage with his excellent performance.
New comer on the gospel music scene, Dorcas Moyo, left the people calling for more, with her songs “Tsamba Yangu” and “Haakotsire Hope Mwari Uyu” among crowd favourites. Moyo said her songs were prayers to God so that the voices of the people of Zimbabwe could be heard to get positive results on the lifting of the illegal sanctions.
“When we are singing, especially on such occasions, it is very critical because our songs are a prayer to the Almighty God to hear us so that he responds to our cause,’ she said. “Our God does not sleep, he hears and he answers, so we are sure that we will sail through.”
Online Reporter