admin
Post Reporters
PEOPLE from all walks of life across Manicaland on Monday resoundingly responded to the call to march against the unilateral, and illegal sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by America, and her Western allies by coming out in their droves to lend a voice to the chorus.
The province joined the rest of the country in holding solidarity marches calling for the immediate and unconditional removal of the embargoes.
The peaceful demonstrations were in line with the resolution by regional grouping, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to ramp up support for Zimbabwe to have the sanctions revoked.
That solidarity subsequently saw October 25 of every year being set aside and declared the day to commemorate the anti-sanctions movement.
This year’s event ran under the theme: “Zimbabwe: Friend to All, enemy to None: Forging Ahead and Enhancing Innovation and Productivity in Adversity of Sanctions.
The sanctions have been in existence since early 2000s, and were imposed after the country embarked on the land redistribution exercise aimed at redressing the colonial injustice of land imbalances.
The marches were held in Mutare, Rusape, Chipinge, Mutasa and Chimanimani.
Ordinary citizens, corporates, churches, pupils and students as well as the ruling party Zanu PF members joined in the march.
The main event in the provincial capital saw people marching along Herbert Chitepo Street from downtown and gathered at Meikles Park where speakers denounced the embargoes in unequivocal terms.
They said the sanctions had caused untold suffering to the majority of Zimbabweans, and were hampering the country’s development efforts.
In a speech read on his behalf by Zanu PF Manicaland Province acting secretary for administration, Cde Misheck Mugadza, the party’s provincial chairman, Cde Mike Madiro, said the sanctions and their continued existence were unjustifiable.
“Two decades of unjustified sanctions on our motherland Zimbabwe are a clear crime against humanity. And unfair treatment of the sovereign state of Zimbabwe and its people,” said Cde Madiro.
He added that it was regrettable that some Zimbabweans had actually grovelled their Western handlers to tighten the screws on the embargoes so as to advance their nefarious regime change agenda.
Cde Madiro said it was a fallacy to think of the sanctions as targeted.
“The sanctions are not at all targeted at individuals. They have a demoralising effect on the entire populace of Zimbabwe,” he said.
He hailed the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement drive under the visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa, describing it as bearing fruit.
Said Cde Madiro: “We want to thank President Mnangagwa for the good relations the country continues to cultivate with neighbouring countries, those in the region and across the continent as well as the world at large through his re-engagement drive. This has resulted in the united call for the unconditional removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe. As the people of Manicaland, we collectively say these sanctions must go.”
Other speakers described the sanctions as evil because they are hurting ordinary citizens and have debilitating effects on businesses.
Mr Edgar Kuteya, a city vendor, bemoaned how the embargoes had made life unbearable for many people.
It had also become difficult for businesses to survive and operate profitably under the choking environment in the face of the sanctions, he added.
In Rusape, anti-sanctions protesters marched from the District Development Coordinator’s Office to 602 Hall where they were addressed by Makoni DDC, Mr Edwin Mashindi.
They were carrying placards denouncing the dreaded embargo, and calling for their immediate removal.
They said the embargoes were negatively impacting the social well-being of the nation and its economy.
Online Reporter