Chronicle Editor
TODAY, Zimbabwe unites with the region, continent and beyond for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Anti-Sanctions Day to call for the unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions that the country has had to endure for more than two decades.
President Mnangagwa, who is also SADC chairperson, will today headline the event in Bulawayo running under the theme “Embracing Innovation towards Vision 2030: The Relentless Fight against Illegal Sanctions.”
It is a day when all Zimbabweans, regardless of political affiliation, must unite in the call for the removal of sanctions.
In 2019, SADC Heads of State and Government set aside October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day to protest against the imposition of illegal sanctions by the United States and its Western allies that include Britain and the European Union.
The country has lost potential revenue running into billions of United States dollars and missed opportunities owing to the unilateral measures.
On Tuesday, Zanu-PF politburo members signed an anti-sanctions petition at the revolutionary party’s headquarters in Harare ahead of the organ’s meeting, which marked the start of the 21st Annual National People’s Conference.
Removing the illegal sanctions unconditionally, is in line with the recommendations made by Professor Alena Douhan, a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Zimbabwe, who researched on the impact of the embargo when she visited the country in 2021.
Prof Douhan undertook an official visit to Zimbabwe from October 18 to 28, 2021, to examine the impact of unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights in Zimbabwe and on people’s right to development.
She concluded that sanctions, including secondary sanctions and different forms of over-compliance by foreign banks and companies, had a significant impact on the population and Government.
Prof Douhan recommended lifting unilateral sanctions in line with the principles of international law.
Speaking after signing of the anti-sanctions petition on Tuesday, Politburo member Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi said Zimbabwe should be allowed to compete in the global village on an equal footing without the baggage of illegal sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries.
“You have noticed that I have just signed the anti-sanctions petition. I subscribe to it. We had the UN Rapporteur; she did research and submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council that sanctions are a human rights violation,” he said.
“We then wonder why the United States, being a member of the UN, still persists with the sanctions when it has already been established by the UN that they are illegal, they violate several rights of our people.
“We, therefore, call for the US to remove the sanctions so that we can be part of the global village on an equal footing with everyone else,” said Cde Ziyambi.
Online Reporter