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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter

BULAWAYO residents from all walks of life yesterday took part in the Sadc Anti-Sanctions Solidarity Day march in the city as part of the campaign against the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States, UK and their allies.

Residents comprising churches, youths and Zanu-PF leaders in the province marched along Robert Mugabe Way from the City Hall to the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds carrying placards denouncing the sanctions.

They waved banners condemning the illegal economic embargo.

Some of the banners screamed, “Sanctions must stop now”, “We say no to sanctions” and “Ama sanctions ajeziza uzulu wonke jikelele (Sanctions affect the entire nation)”.

Zanu-PF provincial commissar Cde Maidei Mpala, who was part of the people that participated in the march, said sanctions were hurting ordinary Zimbabweans.

She said due to sanctions, industry in Bulawayo had collapsed resulting in unemployment and untold human suffering.

“Our march from the City Hall to the ZITF is part of our campaign against sanctions, which are hurting us. For the past two decades, our country has been under sanctions and sadly our once thriving industry in Bulawayo has collapsed,” she said.

“We are only made to suffer just because of the land reform programme, whose aim was to correct imbalances from the colonial past. We are calling for these sanctions to be removed and we are grateful to other countries in the Sadc region for their solidarity.”