Zambia calls for lifting of sanctions

National Anti-Sanctions Petition when he called the West to lift the illegal economic embargo imposed on the country.
He said the best solution to Zimbabwe’s political problems was to remove the sanctions.
Popular Zambian newspaper, The Post, last week quoted Mr Chongo, the Member of Parliament for Mwense constituency, as saying sanctions in any form impacted negatively on ordinary Zimbabweans.
“Sometimes it’s not the targeted people that suffer, it’s mostly common people that suffer.
“What are the sanctions intended to achieve? Probably it’s to make people rise against government after they have encountered a lot of difficulties.
“But if people rise against the government, is that the solution or not?” Mr Chongo asked.
Instead of imposing sanctions, the best is to promote good governance.
“Sanctions are not the right thing. Violence and sanctions are not the best options.
“We just have to engage.”
Mr Chongo said some of the Western countries imposing sanctions on African states were themselves responsible for human rights abuses but no action was taken against them.
“The unfortunate part is that we in Africa are in a weaker position, so it’s very rare that we even think of sanctioning because we do realise that if we sanction the US, it’s like we are punishing ourselves because we need the American market,” he said.
Mr Chongo’s call on the removal of the illegal sanctions followed the recent launch of the National Anti-Sanctions Petition Campaign by President Mugabe.
The campaign seeks to attract more than two million signatures of Zimbabweans denouncing the illegal sanctions.
After the campaign, Government will then ask Sadc for a resolution illustrating how the generality of Zimbabweans opposes the embargo.
Sadc, which has already condemned the illegal sanctions, will then be asked to take a resolution to the African Union and the AU is in turn expected to speak with one voice on the matter at the United Nations.
The petition can also be used as legal basis to sue countries that have imposed the illegal sanctions.
Last week Seychelles President James Michel pledged to use every international platform to call for the immediate removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
The Seychelles Foreign Minister Mr Jean Paul Adam delivered the message from President Michel to VP Joice Mujuru.
In her response VP Mujuru said the support by the Seychelles’ head of State was a clear testimony that the anti-sanctions lobby launched by President Mugabe on March 2 opened the eyes of the international community.
“The anti-sanctions lobby was the mother of all rallies. It has opened the eyes of not only regional countries but also the whole world.
Another country, Namibia urged the immediate removal of sanctions and pledged to organise anti-sanctions rallies in that country to show that the illegal embargo was hurting the economy.
The Anti-sanctions Petition signing centres have been set up countrywide to enable Zimbabweans to air their opposition to the illegal Western embargo.
People will be able to sign the petitions there, while Diasporans can access it through a soon-to-be-established website.
Plans are underway to translate the petition into all major national and United Nations languages.
Sadc and the African Union have on several occasions called for the lifting of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country at the instigation of Britain and the United States of America after Government embarked on the land reform programme.
MDC formations boycotted the anti-sanctions petition launch, drawing the ire of people who are daily burdened by the embargo.