By Tendai Matunhu
As the country and the region gear up for the 25th October Anti-Sanctions Day, Zimbabwe Citizen Forum has encouraged people to start preparing vibrant programs to campaign against sanctions and for its members in all constituencies to vigorously propagate anti-sanction messages.
Addressing people at a preparatory meeting in Mbare recently, Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Honourable Yeukai Simbanegavi said sanctions were not targeted at individuals like the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy had claimed, but were targeted and affecting all Zimbabwean citizens.
Mr Nagy had said, “Some people say that the United States has sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We do not have sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We have sanctions against certain individuals and certain corporations and there could be greater detail on that, but not against the country of Zimbabwe.”
Deputy Minister Simbabnegavi urged the youth to find ways of overcoming the effects of sanctions like engaging in mining, agriculture and other income generating projects.
Speaking at the same meeting, Zanu-PF Youth League Secretary for Administration, Tendai Chirau said there were a number of African countries supporting Zimbabwe in the fight for the removal of sanctions. He went on to say that the problem with Zimbabweans is that they are failing to denounce the sanctions with particular reference to MDC which is, instead, calling for more stringent sanctions and sees nothing wrong with the sanctions.
Pan Africanist Activist, Tafadzwa Mugwadi, highlighted that Zimbabweans should emulate the level of patriotism by the Chinese, as the Chinese people love their nation. Mugwadi urged the Zimbabwean Government to have a Patriotic Act similar to that of the USA which punishes people who betray the country’s interests. He encouraged people to lobby Parliament to enact the act.
The meeting comes at a time when the country along with the SADC countries are preparing for the 25th October Anti-sanctions Campaign where people are to come out in their numbers for the anti-sanctions march, since sanctions mostly affect everyone.
