Zimbabweans protest against US-imposed economic bans
Zimbabweans on Tuesday gathered outside the United States Embassy compound in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, to protest against sanctions imposed on the southern African nation by Western countries over two decades ago.
The Southern African Development Community, a 16-country regional bloc, designated October 25 of each year as “Anti-Sanctions Day” since 2019 to show solidarity with Zimbabwe against the sanctions which the government says have caused untold suffering to the people.
Wielding placards and singing songs denouncing the embargo, demonstrators -- mostly young people -- lamented the negative impacts of economic sanctions on their livelihoods. Zimbabwe has borne the brunt of economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its western allies led by Britain since 2001 following the decision to reclaim land from white farmers and parcel it out to formerly landless blacks.
Although the U.S. says the sanctions only target certain individuals and entities, Zimbabweans have been pushing for their removal for the past two decades, saying they have eroded the quality of their lives.
“These sanctions, they pretend as if they are targeted sanctions, yet they are not targeted because they are affecting everyone up to the grassroots. Everyone is feeling the impact of sanctions because the wealth of a country is determined by the freedom of a country to trade freely, to manage its own economics,” said Willard Govha, a Harare resident.
Govha said despite Zimbabwe being a natural resources-endowed country, sanctions continue to spook investors, which in turn affects the creation of employment for the youth. “We need investors in this country who can come, we have got several unexplored resources here, but these investors when they think of coming to Zimbabwe, they get intimidated with these sanctions, so the sanctions are just acting in a manner of destroying our country totally,” Govha added.
Martin Zharare, executive director of Citizens Against Sanctions, a local anti-sanctions lobby group, said sanctions continue to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent citizens.
“Firstly, these sanctions are real and economic, and to those who say they are targeted sanctions, there is nothing like targeted sanctions, that is why you see us here at the American Embassy where we are in our thousands as ordinary people to say, these sanctions must be lifted because they have affected the economy of Zimbabwe for twenty years, and the people of Zimbabwe have suffered,” he said.
“Our industries have been affected, our health system has been affected, our education system has been affected, and the well-being of our people, their health - every sector has been affected by these illegal sanctions.”
- Xinhua
