Sanctions: Petition centres on cards

coming few days to enable Zimbabweans to air their opposition to the illegal Western embargo.
People will be able to go to the centres to sign the petiti-ons, while those in the Diaspora can get access through a soon-to-be-established website.
President Mugabe launched the Anti-Sanctions Petition Campaign in Harare on Wednesday.
Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity Mr Geor-ge Charamba said: “In the coming few days we will be setting up petition centres throughout the country; in cities, towns and shopping malls where Zimbabweans can append their signatures.
“Political parties that are committed to the end of sanctions will also be a conduit. We are launching an electronic platform for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to show their contempt of the sanctions.
“You do not need to be here to register your contempt of the sanctions.
“We will also have a third platform for solidarity signatures from persons, groups and organisations that sympathise with Zimbabwe’s cause.”
He said plans were underway to translate the petition document into all the major national languages and those used by the United Nations.
“The campaign will also include marches, demonstrations and performances by artistes,” Mr Charamba said.
MDC formations boycotted the launch, drawing the ire of people who are daily burdened by the embargo.
The US and the EU imposed the sanctions outside the internationally-recognised UN system.
Progressive organisations like Sadc, the AU and Non-Aligned Movement have all condemned the sanctions and called for their removal.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara yesterday said sanctions were blocking foreign direct investment.
DPM Mutambara was not at the campaign launch, but conceded that the embargo was hurting the economy.
He was speaking at a Council of Ministers workshop.
“Sanctions are real and they are scuttling investment in the local economy and we call for their instant removal to allow investors to come on board.
“Sanctions have devastating effects on the local economy and even if some may call them targeted, no investor wants to put his or her money in a country where the President and other senior government ministers are on travel bans.”
This came as the US Ambassador in Harare, Mr Charles Ray, said Washington and Brussels worked together on the issue of sanctions.
Our Mutare Bureau reports that Ambassador Ray said this during a question and answer session at Black History Month commemorations at Africa University on Monday.
“On the question of whether the two million signatures can lift the imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, I leave that in the hands of the EU as it is not only up to the US to lift the sanctions,” said Ambassador Ray.

 

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