MP speaks on sanctions

THE continued imposition of illegal sanctions on senior Government officials by the United States is meant to scare people from supporting the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Further, the desire to continue making life difficult for Zimbabweans was also a reflection of Washington’s low regard for African people.

This was said by Gokwe Nembudziya legislator, Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena

(pictured) over the weekend while addressing villagers at Nembudziya Growth Point, where he handed over certificates for youths and women who had completed a confectionery course.

He said the inclusion on the sanctions list of State Security Minister Owen Ncube on Friday by the US was baseless, and merely meant to dissuade people from standing by President Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, whose popularity was growing by the day.

The imposition of sanctions on Minister Ncube followed that of Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Anselem Sanyatwe and his wife, Ms Chido Machona, a few months ago.

“We have just heard that the US has imposed illegal sanctions on Minister Ncube for standing behind our leader, President Mnangagwa,” said Cde Wadyajena. “They want to scare away people from supporting our leadership led by President Mnangagwa and our party Zanu-PF.

“That will not dissuade us, we will continue to stand by our party and its leadership. We, therefore, condemn in the strongest terms the imposition of illegal sanctions on Minister Ncube.”

Cde Wadyajena questioned why the US continued to impose sanctions given that both SADC and the African Union and other progressive organisations called for the removal of the embargo.

“It is a lie that the sanctions are targeted because they affect ordinary persons, they have affected social services like hospitals where there are no medicines,” he said. “These sanctions also showed that the Americans never wanted black people or let alone African people. The sanctions are racially motivated.”

On Friday, Zimbabwe joined other countries from the regional bloc to march in a SADC-initiated anti-sanctions march as part of registering displeasure over the sanctions against Zimbabwe.

The march followed a resolution by the Sadc summit in Tanzania in August this year, where Heads of State and Government resolved to set aside October 25, as a day to collectively carry out different activities aimed at showing resentment to the illegal sanctions imposed on Harare by the European Union and the US.

Turning to agriculture, Cde Wadyajena implored Cottco to expeditiously deliver inputs to farmers on time so that they could plant early.

He said Cottco should complement Government efforts, which introduced free cotton inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme to boost productivity.