Zimbabwe sanctions solidarity march deferred to next week

THE highly-anticipated solidarity march that was scheduled for tomorrow, has been deferred to next week, due to President Mnangagwa's unavailability owing to other national duties.

The President, who is attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa in South Africa, was expected to address thousands of people at the anti-sanctions march.

The march has since been upgraded to national event status.

The march is in solidarity with President Mnangagwa for assuming the chairmanship of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation at the just ended 39th SADC Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Further, the march is in support of SADC member states that have joined the campaign for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and the European Union.

The sanctions have decimated the economy, especially the manufacturing sector, which is now contending with antiquated equipment, resulting in high costs of production and consequently high prices of finished goods.

Zanu-PF secretary of Administration Dr Obert Mpofu yesterday said the solidarity march had been postponed to next week and urged all progressive citizens to put aside political affiliations and participate in the solidarity march.

"We want to make it a national event. The solidarity march will include the Government, civil society, students, the business community (and) all political parties, among others.

"The event is open to everyone," said Dr Mpofu.

The solidarity march comes after SADC countries declared October 25 as a solidarity day against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and resolved to conduct various activities in their respective countries on the day, to resoundingly call for the immediate removal of the sanctions.

The SADC Secretariat has since been tasked to escalate the lobby with the current African Union chairperson, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who will be expected to raise the issue at the 74th United Nations General Assembly later this month.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association will update regional counterparts on how illegal sanctions have crippled the country's economy during the Former Liberation Movement (FLM) summit to be held in Victoria Falls next week, report Joseph Madzimure and Wallace Ruzvidzo.

This was said by the association's national spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya, who said war veterans' representatives will also exchange notes on welfare issues.

"As you are aware, war veterans will meet with their regional counterparts at the FML summit. The summit comprises former liberation movements in Africa, from countries such as Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Angola.

"We will discuss a number of issues that need to be addressed, chief among them the effects of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the agents of imperialism.

"We will also discuss the welfare of war veterans, years after independence," said Mahiya.

Mahiya said war veterans will be kept up to speed on advances made by former colonisers through the use of cyber warfare as a means of spearheading regime change in Africa.

"The regional war veterans have always discovered a discrepancy in the implementation of the principles of the revolution.

"Mozambique used the same principles of the revolution that carried the Namibian war, Angola, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

"The principles wanted to create a new socio-economic structure. This is what was supposed to be produced by those principles.

"The new socio-economic structures would benefit the proletariat and the peasant. So that is what was supposed to be done when liberation movements took power from the colonial masters," said Mahiya.

He said regional war veterans' organisations will also reflect on how much has been achieved by their governments that came into power as a result of human sacrifice.