Staff Reporter

Zimbabweans from all walks of life are eagerly awaiting the Zimbabwe Anti-sanctions Day, slated for 25 October 2023, to come out in their numbers and call for the unconditional removal of same.

One artists David Mubaiwa who is popularly known as `Sabhuku Vharazipi, is heard lamenting, on a video circulating on social media, that sanctions have made it complicated for artistes to access their payments from YouTube owners.

He lamented the imposition of sanctions alluding that he was not able to get his payments from YouTube directly into his bank account. The hilarious comedian stated that they have to ask someone who has a bank account outside Zimbabwe to have his money deposited on his behalf. This is because YouTube cannot deposit funds directly to Banks in Zimbabwe due to the sanctions.

Mubaiwa complained that proxy external bank accounts that are used by Zimbabwean artistes to access their earning have a habit of misappropriating the YouTube earnings by converting them to their own personal gain before transferring to individual Zimbabwean accounts. The artistes bemoaned that at the end of the day the money he receives would be very little to meet his needs.

Another citizen, Tatenda Chiutsi in an interview with this publication, stated that the sanctions are hurting the ordinary Zimbabwean more than the “targeted”.

“The sanctions have had a devastating impact on our economy, leading to high unemployment, hyperinflation, and shortages of essential goods and services. I cannot be employed because some companies are closing down. Sanctions have made it difficult for our government to access foreign currency and investment.

“We have been forced into abject poverty. We are struggling to put food on the table and to send children to school. The sanctions have also made it difficult for our Government to respond to natural disasters and other crises,” said Chiutsi.

One Nakai Chamisa, a farmer, stated that he used to be a successful farmer, but his business was ruined by the sanctions. He further mentioned that he could no longer afford to buy seeds and fertilizer, and his production had dropped sharply.

"The sanctions have destroyed my livelihood. I cannot even support my family anymore. I am begging the West to lift the sanctions so that Zimbabweans can start to rebuild their lives," he said.

Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Day was set aside by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to express solidarity with Zimbabwe and to call for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.

This year the Anti-Sanctions Day will be held in Mutoko, Mashonaland East, from 24 to 25 October 2023 under the theme, Harnessing the youth for Accelerated Socio-economic Development in the Fight Against Sanctions.