BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has blamed the collapse of industries in the country and high unemployment rates on sanctions, saying the nation should pray hard for their removal.
She said this on Tuesday while addressing delegates at a drugs and gender sensitisation conference for men drawn from Harare and Chitungwiza.
The conference was held at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex.
The country is currently under United States and European Union targeted sanctions.
The First Lady said the high unemployment levels caused by sanctions were forcing the youth to indulge in drugs.
“We are a developing country. We are under sanctions and then COVID-19 came and some companies closed because of the pandemic.
“What wrong did we do for us to have sanctions? We need to pray hard for them to be removed to be able to have exports and credit lines. No one would want to invest in a nation under sanctions,” Mnangagwa said.
“It’s just a matter of time. Let us keep on praying for our country. One day God will intervene. Let us not hate our nation. Let us work for it. Let us find what we can do to take it forward. If we continue using hate speech we will speak negatively in a positive country. You end up hating your neighbour, yourself and committing suicide.”
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The First Lady also took the opportunity to launch various economic empowerment initiatives to support women through her Angel of Hope Foundation.
She warned police officers against being involved in drug peddling and shielding drug lords.
Speaking at the conference, Chief Chikwaka, born Murambiwa Witness Bungu, condemned sexual abuse of the girl child.
“As chiefs, we have a constitutional mandate to promote sound family relationships. A girl child is not a wife. Are you not ashamed of sleeping with your own child? Let her grow. Do you know that the girl child menstruates? Some use cow dung or sacks because you fail to buy them sanitary pads,” Chief Chikwaka said.
He also condemned domestic violence.
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