Chronicle Editor
Harare Bureau
TOMORROW Africa and the rest of the progressive world will join hands in commemorating the Sadc Anti-Sanctions Day that the region came up with to pile up pressure on the United States to remove its punitive sanctions on Zimbabwe.
The day is being commemorated on the backdrop of widespread calls for the unconditional removal of the unilateral sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwe by the US as punishment for the land reform programme which redressed colonial land inequities.
The day is being commemorated under the theme: “Enhancing Zimbabwe’s Resilience through Economic Development and Engagement and Re-engagement”, an apt summation of President Mnangagwa policy that saw the world roundly condemning the sanctions at the recently held United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Across the world, Zimbabwe’s embassies will tomorrow host events to inform host nations on the effects of the illegal sanctions that have bled the country’s key sectors of health, education and basic social services.
The sanctions have worsened the burden on the Government to provide basic social services such as water, health and education, a mess that has ruined livelihoods of the country’s populace.
In 2019, Sadc adopted the Anti-Sanctions Day, adding their voice to that of Zimbabweans who are united in their calls for the removal of sanctions.
The unilateral sanctions are in contravention of international law which stipulates that unilateral measures without or beyond authorisation of the UN Security Council may only be taken when they comply with states’ international legal obligations or in the course of countermeasures in accordance with the rules of law of international responsibility: to be applied against states for violations of international legal norms, to aim to restore the fulfilment of international obligations, to be proportional to the breach occurred, to be necessary, and to not violate fundamental human rights.
The sanctions are also a crude interference into the domestic affairs of a sovereign country and are in breach of the United Nations Charter and other international statutes.
This is the reason why Zimbabweans, from across the political divide have joined hands in the unconditional call for the removal of the sanctions.
Muslims, Christians, politicians, students, farmers, teachers, doctors, diplomats, graduates and all patriotic Zimbabweans have called for the removal of the sanctions.
In an interview Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Chris Mutsvangwa said Africa is using the occasion to express outrage that has hobbled the development opportunities of a fellow member state of the African Union brotherhood.
“The Anti-Sanctions Day was announced by the late President Magufuli of Tanzania. It harks back to the mutual support rendered by a united Africa in the epic struggles against the racist and apartheid colonial and settler regimes of the southern tip of the continent.
“An attack on one is regarded as an attack on all. Africa is indeed exorcising the ghost of imperialistic divide and rule that was the bane of the continent during slavery, partition and colonial subjugation.
“President Mnangagwa and his Second Republic is waging a holistic war on every front to blunt the deleterious impact of sanctions. In the same vein, it is placing a positive premium in risk capital seeking rewards in natural resource-rich and bountiful Zimbabwe. It’s a source of comfort and strength as Zimbabweans savour the breadth and depth of African solidarity on this occasion. Zimbos are not alone as they grapple with ruinous perfidy,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.
In a report on sanctions Professor Alena Douhan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights observed that “as a result of the designation of senior State officials and companies owned or controlled by them, foreign companies and banks are unwilling to do business with the public sector of Zimbabwe, preventing the Government from getting revenue for the exercise of its public functions and provision of essential services, resulting in the violation of labour and social rights of people involved in the public sector, whose salaries are reported to be much lower than in the private sphere.”
For Lead president, Ms Linda Masarira, this is all the reason why Zimbabweans have to speak with one voice for their unconditional removal.
“It is very noble for Africa to speak with one voice and to look out on every African country. Sanctions do not just affect Zimbabwe only but the whole region.
“Sanctions against Zimbabwe are affecting the smooth running of regional groupings such as Sadc. The Sadc macroeconomic convergence targets of low inflation, sustainable budget deficits, minimal public debt, equitable current account balances, as well as the formation of a regional monetary union and the movement towards attaining the region’s industrialisation agenda, are being compromised by Zimbabwe’s inability to meet most of the targets.
“United in our diversity as African countries we can make sufficient advocacy for the removal of these sanctions which are crippling economic growth and maintaining perpetual poverty of our people. I stand in solidarity with Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole in calling for the removal of sanctions,” she said.
Federation of Indigenous Churches of Zimbabwe secretary-general, Reverend Mathias Tsine said sanctions had also affected the church.
“Sanctions have left a trail of disaster in all sectors in Zimbabwe, indigenous churches and their members included. Churches’ quest to complement Government developmental efforts in establishing schools, health facilities and tertiary education have suffered setbacks due to these illegal sanctions.
“Some of our members are failing to put food on the table due to these measures. This has a negative bearing on the pulpit message of salvation and plentiful provisions on earth. God’s people have suffered enough of these satanic measures. We request the EU, US and their allies to unconditionally remove the embargo,” he said.
The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe (SCIAZ) president, Sheikh Ishmail Duwa said the fiction that the sanctions are targeted has lost its appeal.
“The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe strongly opposes the sanctions imposed on the Government of Zimbabwe by Western countries. By imposing sanctions on nations, these Western powers have directly caused the death of poor communities, especially women and children, lack of access to food and health care is directly traceable to these sanctions,” he said.]
Sheikh Duwa said SCIAZ calls for Zimbabweans to unite irrespective of religious affiliation and political differences to pressure the West to remove the sanctions unconditionally.
Patron of the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Council of Churches (Zacc) Mr Jimayi Muduviri said the harsh measures are affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.
“We once again call for the lifting of foreign sanctions against Zimbabwe. These harsh measures continue to inflict a sense of injustice against an entire people and aggravate their suffering in these times of deep crisis.
“If you look closer, the sanctions on Zimbabwe are affecting the whole Sadc region due to the interlinks that exist in the region. Even though the country has been able to move with these sanctions, they should be removed unconditionally,” he said.
Farmers also bemoaned the negative impact of illegal sanctions saying the agriculture industry continues to face a wide range of difficulties which include obtaining agriculture lines of credit and luring investors, as a result, production and marketing infrastructure has deteriorated.
Prior to the implementation of sanctions, the agricultural industry employed and provided income to more than 60 percent of the population and served as the foundation of Zimbabwe’s economy, was expanding at a rapid rate, but not anymore.
Because of the sanctions foreign companies and banks are unwilling to do business with the public sector of Zimbabwe, preventing the Government from getting revenue for the exercise of its public functions and provision of essential services, resulting in the violation of labour and social rights of people involved in the public sector, whose salaries are reported to be much lower than in the private sphere.
This has led to rising unemployment, especially among the most qualified professionals, including engineers, doctors, teachers, university professors, judges and police officers.
The unilateral sanctions have also prevented the Government from using resources to develop and maintain essential infrastructure, disaster response plans and social support programmes, which has a devastating effect on the whole population of Zimbabwe, especially those in extreme poverty, women, young people, children, medical workers and people with disabilities or life-threatening or chronic diseases, particularly in rural areas.
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