Hundreds march against sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe

By Jeffrey Moyo

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) - Hundreds, including civil servants and political activists linked to the governing Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front party, marched Wednesday in the capital, Harare, to demand the removal of sanctions imposed by the US and EU.

A Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in 2019 in Tanzania declared Oct. 25 the day where member states would voice disapproval of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who officiated during the anti-sanctions march, claimed the country has suffered destruction in many aspects because of the sanctions.

“Sanctions are there and they have destroyed the Zimbabwe family. Our only offense is that we took our land from white farmers. But we have said to ourselves: ‘We now think outside the box, sanctions or no sanctions, Zimbabwe will succeed.’ We are building our manufacturing industry despite the sanctions,” he said.

Chiwenga said Zimbabwe has lost more than $120 billion since the country was slapped with sanctions 22 years ago.

But Zimbabweans, like Alice Musarurwa, 53, pinned blame on the country’s opposition parties for the economic crisis that has gripped the country.

“Sanctions are not being removed because there are people in the opposition who are going to the countries that gave us the sanctions asking for them to stay. May God please take such people away from us,” Musarurwa told Anadolu.

“The people who don’t like the leadership of our country are the ones behind sanctions. Since the time I was about 20 years of age, the sanctions were always there,” she said.

Many marchers like Kenias Nyawayanga, 59, who held a banner that read: “Sanctions are evil,” blamed sanctions for breaking up families because of the hardships.

“Sanctions have damaged so many families. Marriages are ending because of sanctions,” Nyawayanga told Anadolu.

Sanctions against Zimbabwe target human rights abusers and those who undermine the democratic processes or facilitate corruption, according to the US.

The US is on record saying sanctions do not target the Zimbabwean people, the country or its banking sector.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, issued a statement outlining the bloc’s demand for the immediate and unconditional lifting of sanctions imposed against institutions and individuals in Zimbabwe.

“The Chairperson reaffirms the continued commitment of the African Union to support the brotherly nation of Zimbabwe in mobilizing efforts for the complete lifting of all remaining sanctions,” it said.

But opposition activist Elvis Mugari said corruption is to blame for the suffering that has pounded Zimbabweans.

“Corruption, economic mismanagement and failure to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law are the causes of Zimbabwe’s problems,” Mugari told Anadolu.

President Emerson Mnangagwa was busy attending a virtual SADC extraordinary summit which has Zimbabwe’s disputed elections in August on its agenda.