‘Inward looking policies help fight sanctions’

Victor Maphosa–Mash East Bureau

THE transformative, inward looking policies announced by President Mnangagwa have helped neutralise the impact of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, has said.

He was speaking yesterday during the SADC Anti-Sanctions Solidarity Summit and Business Expo in Mutoko.

The summit and business expo was organised by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services with a view to promoting truthful reporting on the illegality of sanctions and the adverse existential impact they have exerted on the economy particularly the banking sector, technology transfer and industrial equipment importation. 

“Contrary to the expectations of the illegal sanctions architects, our President Dr ED Mnangagwa has introduced transformative economic initiatives that have directly impacted the agricultural sector,” said Dr Muswere. 

“Government also scaled up the mining and tourism sectors respectively. The illegal sanctions initially stifled the growth of agriculture.

“Likewise, the mining sector has not been spared from these challenges. The medical sector was also paralysed by the sanctions at some point. In the face of this concerted crisis by the makers of the sanctions, Zimbabwe has been denied access to international credit lines.”

But Dr Muswere said thanks to the Second Republic’s inward looking policies, the Government was able to entirely fund the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In reversing the menacing impact of sanctions as a tool to undermine our national democracy and economic sovereignty, President ED Mnangagwa initiated the engagement and re-engagement policy. 

“In so doing, the President repositioned Zimbabwe’s diplomatic outlook for accelerated investment inflows to our country,” he said. 

Industrial growth, said Dr Muswere, has overtaken the stagnation that the sector had endured prior to the birth of the Second Republic.

“Therefore, the Anti-Sanctions Business Expo gives an immaculate display of that fact and shows to a greater extent that Zimbabwe Government departments are deepening their mandate and impacting the livelihoods of our people. 

“The expo also demonstrates growth of industry and indeed affirming that indeed ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’.

“On the political front, President ED Mnangagwa has steered the country towards sustainable peace. The establishment of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is an enduring footprint to this effect. He went further to create an inclusive dialogue platform for all political parties under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD),” he said.

The recent peaceful, free and fair elections held in August, said Dr Muswere, fully depict President Mnangagwa’s inclination to democracy, much to the chagrin of the states that declared an illegal sanctions war against Zimbabwe. 

“His (President Mnangagwa’s) administration continues to be pivoted on clear standards of separation of power and rule of law to the shame of those pursuing anti-land reform regime change agendas.

“Our President has proved beyond doubt that his reform-anchored leadership stance is aligned to the advancement of sovereign interests over external demands for governance and democracy prescriptions. 

“It is on that basis that the President has rallied all Zimbabweans under the ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’ philosophy. All of us must emulate his inclination for hard-work and creation of innovative solutions for inward focused national development,” he said.

Dr Muswere said within a short period of his previous term, Zimbabwe’s Chief Diplomat, President Mnangagwa, had compelled SADC to advance the country’s cause for the immediate and unconditional removal of illegal sanctions imposed by the West. 

“This elaborates how his vision is closely intertwined to making Zimbabwe a respected actor in the international arena. His integrationist approach to global statecraft is the reason for the increase in investment opportunities enjoyed by our business community.

“It is on this basis that the scope of SASS has been widened to incorporate the business component mainly featuring ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). 

“The operational output of every exhibitor at our Anti-Sanctions Expo substantiates the magnitude of the Second-Republic’s success track record,” he said.

Dr Muswere said the spill-over subscription of the business expo was evident that Government and the private sector are working hard to defeat the intended punitive impact of sanctions.

He added that the successful hosting of SASS 2023 was synonymous with the success of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme, and called upon the media to play an active role in exposing the devastating effects of sanctions on Zimbabwe’s economy.

“Our tobacco output for the global market is evident of this fact. Our horticulture export dividend is a key indicator worth mentioning. Given the irreversibility of the land reform and success stories peculiar to it, the media has a role to play in promoting it so that future generations may bestow value in the land.

“Therefore, I urge all media players to take advantage of Government’s initiative to free the airwaves so as to enable the public to freely call for the unconditional removal of sanctions. 

“The media must be proactive in exposing how the illegal sanctions play a massive sabotage to our national interest. The tertiary institutions and distinguished academics present at this forum are proof of the centrality of the role of higher education in shaping the national development agenda,” said Dr Muswere. 

Innovation hubs at all universities, he added, depict the substantial technological creativity that local education can offer to the national economy.

“Therefore, I commend the heads of tertiary institutions here for adding the weight of the knowledge society in the fight against sanctions. With the launch of more campus radio stations, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services intends to cultivate an organic intellectual consciousness to our students which upholds and defends national interest. 

“The anti-sanctions fight is part of this broader agenda. As we continue to licence more radio and television stations, we hope to be able to deliver the anti-sanctions message to our people and encourage production increase to all sectors of our economy,” said Dr Muswere.

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Aplonia Munzverengwi, called on everyone to join hands in the call for the removal of sanctions.

“For a generation now, we continue to be under the leash of our detractors. These sanctions are meant to undermine the sovereign will of the Zimbabwean people. 

“I call upon the church, business community, students and all the other pillars of our society to call for the sanctions to fall.

“The message of this march is meant to speak to the conscience of the makers of sanctions to repent from the evil they have inflicted on our people. We hope this march will also appeal to the United Nations to persuade those imposing sanctions to change their position.

“As a country we remain steadfast, we will soldier on as we build our country to be a better place for our citizenry as we promote the ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, brick by brick’ mantra.

“Mashonaland East will continue to think outside the box and continuously guarantee competitiveness. We are working tirelessly to improve our Gross Domestic Product for Mashonaland East Province and on the attainment of the nation’s Vision 2030,” said Minister Munzverengwi.

Palestine Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Tamer Almassri said his country will remain in support of Zimbabwe’s call for the unconditional removal of sanctions.

“We always encourage those who imposed sanctions to remove them and build good relations with Zimbabwe. Because we Palestinians are free people, we give them free advice. 

“We always tell them that you have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe for 20 years and even if they continue for the next 20 years, nothing will change. Zimbabwe is a country of freedom fighters and they are fighters. A lot of blood was shed during the liberation struggle so Zimbabwe will not be colonised again.

“As Palestinians we used to join Zimbabwe on this date in solidarity from the removal of illegal sanctions, however this year we could not because we are under attack from Israel.  However, Zimbabwe is standing with us just like other independent countries. More than 6 000 people were massacred, 2 600 are children, 2 300 are women, some who were pregnant,” said Ambassador Almassri.

Before the address, hundreds of people marched from Total garage to Mutoko Market in Mutoko Centre.

The SASS ran from Tuesday, ending yesterday.