The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS have been urged to join forces and unite in solidarity towards the anti-sanctions movement, meant to push for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the United States of America and its Western allies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Friday Night Debate in Bulawayo, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) Matabeleland regional manager Mr Comfort Muchekeza said the sanctions were not targeted at certain individuals only because they were also affecting all Zimbabweans.
“There have been arguments that there are targeted sanctions. Sanctions being targeted are not only targeted at individuals. They are also targeted even at organisations, companies and some banks all these are public institutions which benefit consumers at large. So one would then try to understand the meaning of targeted as though its selective and consumers are not under sanctions.
“We will then say if Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is under sanctions is it privately owned by an individual or it is a national institution which is supposed to serve everyone. If really those sanctions incapacitate it in terms of performance is it only the bank that suffers or the consumers who were supposed to benefit from the good performance of the bank,” said Mr Muchekeza.
He added that citizens should come together and unite in solidarity for the removal of sanctions as Sadc and other countries were rallying behind Zimbabwe.
“As for sanctions if we still have certain sections of our community who will still see them as justifiable it will take us a long way to fight against sanctions because already we will be divided. It will be very unfortunate if we still have others who view them as justifiable while the regional block Sadc is condemning them. If the countries surrounding us feel the effects and the impact of sanctions while they are being applied to Zimbabwe to the extent that they would also come and say let’s work in solidarity with Zimbabwe it means the Zimbabweans should be at the forefront to say sanctions must go,” he said.
Mr Muchekeza also commended efforts by President Mnangagwa to curb corruption in the country through the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Political scientist, Mr Tedious Ncube who was also a panelist said sanctions should be removed as they were wrong in all dimensions.
“Sanctions are wrong in three dimensions, firstly they are illegal, secondly they abuse human rights as they are against the doctrine of international democracy and lastly they are wrong morally on the dimension of morality. The widespread democracy consensus against sanctions that is to say a lot of stakeholders who are rightfully obliged to comment and give a view on sanctions and validate whether sanctions are the right thing to do or are the wrong thing to do are saying sanctions should go.
“So if the AU is saying sanctions should be removed, Sadc is saying sanctions should be removed, the Zimbabwean population is saying sanctions should be removed and if even the opposition political parties in Africa are saying sanctions on Zimbabwe are wrong, where then is the West driving the legitimacy of sanctions on Zimbabwe,” said Mr Ncube.
He added that sanctions were also crippling the macro-economic development of the country. This in turn was affecting the Zimbabwean populace who are dependent on the growth of the economy to earn a living.
Mr Ncube also said the new dispensation brought about transparency which proved that sanctions were unnecessary.
“We commend the Government for its efforts in busting sanctions as we can see how the new dispensation has opened up the political space there’s more transparency and it is now clear that there are no human rights abuses in the country. The EU, AU, Sadc, bilateral partners were there for the 2018 elections and they said elections were free and fair but the West still imposes that sanctions should be there on what basis.
The new dispensation has given an environment that exposes the West to show that sanctions are a satanic project that is pursued by an undemocratic force and that Zimbabwe is just a victim,” he said.
Zimbabwe Open University senior lecturer and founding dean Mr Tobias Guzura said sanctions have denied the Zimbabwean population vast benefits they initially enjoyed from various programmes sponsored by donor agencies at a time when the Government is unable to provide a replacement or alternative.
The Friday Night Debates are hosted by Miss Lyre Mazerengwa and the show seeks to unpack initiatives that could lead to a better Zimbabwe.
