We, in the village, are fully aware of the significant strides that President Mnangagwa has made in ensuring that the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the United States and the United Kingdom do not suffocate us.
We are grateful.
The President has forged good relations with all progressive nations of the world guided by the mantra, “Friend to all and enemy to none”.
We are happy that the President has eloquently presented our case to the world and now every one is backing our call to have the illegal sanctions lifted.
That the illegal sanctions were meant to punish all Zimbabweans was never in doubt right from the very beginning, they were never targeted.
Even back in the village, we keenly feel the sharp teeth of the sanctions.
Then US Assistant Secretary of State, Chester Crocker, did not mince his words in spelling out the reasons for the sanctions in 2000.
They were meant to “make the Zimbabwean economy scream”.
The UN has now officially received the report from its Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Professor Alena Douhan, and we hope it will act accordingly.
What makes sanctions against Zimbabwe distinctly malicious is not only because they are meant to hurt the ordinary people, but they are also criminal because they are illegal.
They are illegal because such drastic a measure should have sought the approval of the UN, but did not.
The US and its partners-in-crime deliberately did not seek approval for sanctions because reasons for their unilateral imposition were entirely selfish.
These ruinous sanctions were imposed as a blatant measure to deny ordinary Zimbabweans of their basic human rights.
This, they hoped would infuriate Zimbabwean voters, who would transfer their anger to Zanu PF by punishing the revolutionary party at the polling booths.
But Zimbabweans have not been fooled and will not turn against their Government, which they elected.
However, the reality is that we are on our own and our survival lies solely on the efforts of the citizens of this mighty country.
We have thus far demonstrated that we are capable of taking the country forward through our own efforts in the various sectors of the economy.
But those efforts are being jeopardised by the naivety of many in the opposition who think it is only the white man who will save our country.
But we will forge ahead and succeed.
The country is on course to achieve a bumper wheat harvest after successive years of unreliable weather patterns.
All this is because of the new policy interventions by the Government which gave birth to the hugely successful Pfumvudza/ Intwasa Programme and the irrigation rehabilitation programme.
The Government took over road repairs and funds for the initiative were availed and our major roads are now a delight.
These inward looking policies are bearing fruit in all sectors of the economy and weaken the now widely discredited sanctions.
As the country forges ahead with its development agenda, time has come for Zimbabweans to come together and come up with strategies that will consolidate the gains made so far.
We have the resources and the manpower to fully develop the country and indications so far are that we are on the right track.
The major reason the US and the EU economic sanctions on Russia are flatlining and not having intended effects on Moscow is that the people of Russia are bound by the same goals, values and ideals of defending and protecting their territory from any foreign enemy.
In Russia, the Western bullies have found a steadfast opponent who is ready, willing and able to go the extra υυυ
τττ mile in defending its economy, citizens and territory.
Let us take a leaf from the Russians.
Our people should realise and know that no longer shall the world be compelled to pander to the West’s imperialist machinations.
The new superpowers in the form of Russia and China have given the world alternatives in all spheres of life: social, political and most importantly economic.
Russia is the epitome of resistance to the West’s expansionist agenda, it is a true definition of the world’s resistance to imperialism and a symbol of the globe’s fight for total freedom from the West’s shackles of plunder and bullying of other independent nations.
While the British and Americans harp all they want that they are promoting democracy, the reality is that their sanctions are intended to harm innocent citizens with the goal of turning them against their leaders.
We know that the principle of empowering indigenes, putting the responsibility of building their country into their own hands, is anathema to the Western nations that want an ever suffering Africa.
But in Zimbabwe the principle of self-reliance, as promoted by President Mnangagwa, has seen us weather the crippling effects of sanctions.
And Uncle Sam would like to see such a nationalist Government fall and be replaced by its surrogates — and there are indigenes with black faces and colonial mindsets on standby.
Let us be vigilant.
No sovereign State can be expected to tolerate those who deliberately betray national interest.
We, therefore, unreservedly support the proposed Patriotic Act, which will facilitate the criminalisation of treacherous acts.
We will not be alone in fighting traitors.
The US, through the Logan Act, criminalises those who connive with hostile foreign governments to harm the nation.
Zimbabwe has been thriving under strenuous circumstances.
Our efforts thus far have sent the message that we can do better in the absence of the sanctions.
