By Tendai Matunhu

Sanctions have been likened to a weapon of mass destruction since they destroy whoever and whatever they find in their path, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Sibusiso Moyo, said this recently during a press briefing.

 “If your interests are for the people of Zimbabwe, then I would not want to see you calling for a weapon of mass destruction, like what I will call sanctions. Sanctions are indiscriminate. They do not discriminate who they come and destroy whoever they find on the ground. They are not targeted at all,” he said.

Minister Moyo said it was critical to understand the concept of national interest. If it is a political party or a politician, or a civil society, people must be able to see what they are trying to achieve for the nation.

Most opposition parties, he said, did not understand what national interests and ethical differences are. These two should be done and should only prevail under a red line, below which they should not differ above the red line, said the Minister.

The Minister also said people should speak with one voice when dealing with issues of national interests, politics, quality of life and economic issues.

To show that MDC has no national interest at heart, they continue to call for the imposition of more sanctions on the country in an act of political expediency. This has resulted in the United States passing the amended Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act (ZDERA). Zimbabweans are suffering as these sanctions are truly not targeted.