GOVERNMENT yesterday labelled Western countries “bullies” for imposing economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) Anti-Sanctions Solidarity Summit held in Harare ahead of the anti-sanctions day today, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa hailed the regional bloc for siding with Zimbabwe.
“Indeed our nation is indebted to the support from the region since the war of liberation. We are grateful that in the region we are good brothers and sisters who fight together,” Mutsvangwa said.
“The resolutions of this meeting are meant to bring out key messaging themes for the country and the region as we together fight bullies, who when they fail to put their ideas across, resort to the weaponisation of the economy in order to mobilise people against their sovereign government.”
The Sadc Anti-Sanctions Day will run under the theme Building Media Sector Resilience and Sustainable Reforms that Leave No One and No Place Behind.
The country was placed under sanctions in 2001 following the violent 2000 land reform programme.
While Zimbabwe is still under United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) targeted sanctions, President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week revealed that the country was no longer under European Union (EU) sanctions.
Turning to the media, Mutsvangwa said it should come up with investigative pieces on how sanctions have affected Zimbabwe’s economy.
- Teachers, other civil servants face off
- Veld fire management strategies for 2022
- Magistrate in court for abuse of power
- Vungu Dam water treatment and irrigation project takes off
Keep Reading
“I also urge the media to take an editorial stance against the illegal sanctions. This is a time when we need journalism that repels propaganda from the West that seeks to divide and cause disunity on Zimbabweans.”
Chairperson of the Public Service Commission Vincent Hungwe, who also spoke at the summit, said: "The media sits right at the centre of clearly articulating the nature’s call and purpose of the mischief within our midst and also articulating the nature of the interventions we need to come up with in order to extinguish the identified mischief.”
Industry ministry secretary, Mavis Sibanda said sanctions caused dilapidation of the country’s industries as they failed to upgrade equipment.
Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality ministry secretary Raphael Faranisi said: “When people hear about Zimbabwe it is the most horrible place, therefore, it becomes very expensive to get assurance from people who want to do business. The risk profile is very high. It's a country that you are discouraged to work with.”
Follow us on Twitter @NewsDayZimbabwe
