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Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has appended his signature on the Ant-Sanctions electronic petition expressing gratitude to Zimbabweans for being resolute in the face of illegal sanctions imposed by the West.

President Mnangagwa signed the petition at Bulawayo Large City Hall today.

The petition seeks one million signatures.

Delivering his keynote address, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans will never be broken by sanctions.

“I salute the resolve of the people of this great nation which can never be broken. Our unity, our resilience, resourcefulness and fortitude will ultimately break the albatross of these sanctions,” said President Mnangagwa.

“We are emerging more united, more focused, hardworking and innovative as we build a stronger economy and society.”

He added that as a member of SADC, Zimbabwe is committed in working closely with other regional countries for the collective good and shared prosperity.

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe strongly condemns the hegemonic tendencies and hypocrisy of those nations.

The SADC Anti-Sanctions Day organised since 2019 in solidarity with the rest of the region in defiance of the crippling impact of sanctions on development and ordinary people’s lives.

President Mnangagwa, who is also SADC chairman, is expected to deliver his keynote address at the event this morning under the theme, “Embracing Innovation towards Vision 2030: The Relentless Fight against Illegal Sanctions”, before appending his signature of the electronic petition.

Sadc Member States have always stood in solidarity with Zimbabwe.

The US and the European Union imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe after the country embarked on the land reform programme to correct historical imbalances in land ownership where the white minority owned large tracts of land compared to the black majority.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur, Professor Alena Douhan, who was tasked by the global body to conduct research on the impact of sanctions, came to Zimbabwe in 2021 and concluded that the measures were not justified.

Prof Douhan undertook an official visit to Zimbabwe from 18 to 28 October 2021 to examine the impact of unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights in Zimbabwe and on people’s right to development.

She concluded that sanctions, including secondary sanctions, and different forms of over-compliance by foreign banks and companies, have had a significant impact on the population and the Government.