'Sanctions-mongers must be brought to book'

All political parties and individuals calling for sanctions against Zimbabwe must be arrested and face economic terrorism charges, a renowned human resources expert and philosopher, Mr Joshua Maponga has said.

The individuals, Mr Maponga said, must take responsibility for the challenges confronting the nation today. He was speaking in Chinhoyi last Friday on the sidelines of a Zanu-PF strategic training workshop on by-elections.

Mr Maponga gave lectures during the strategic training workshop designed to equip members with communication and motivational skills.

Speaking during the lecture, Mr Maponga said political parties, their heads and individuals, calling for sanctions, should be brought before the courts and face the music.

"If sanctions are a crime against humanity and sanctions have been declared by the United Nations as a crime against humanity, it means those who are promoting sanctions are committing a crime against humanity," said Mr Maponga.

He added that if the sanctions prevent the coming in of medicines and people die as a result, the people who campaigned for the sanctions must be liable.

The opposition called for illegal sanctions at the turn of the millennium with the hope of making Zanu-PF unpopular with the electorate so that it is voted out of office.

Ordinary people are being hurt by the sanctions, which the imposers said were targeting Government-owned companies and individuals in Zanu-PF or related to Zanu-PF officials.

However, the sanctions are affecting everyone with companies struggling to access cheap funds to boost their operations, resulting in company closures and consequently unemployment.

Some local banks have been fined huge sums of money for processing payments made by affected companies and/or individuals.

And as the campaigns for the March 26 by-elections take shape, Zanu-PF is calling on the electorate to vote the opposition parties that not only invited sanctions, but are also utterly incompetent after failing to transform the fortunes of towns and cities they lead.

In Mashonaland West, Politburo member Omega Hungwe called on urbanites to ensure opposition parties are voted out so as to save the cities and towns.

Turning to the strategic training workshop, Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said: "We are gathered here as leaders with aim of acquiring knowledge from experts. We learn something new every day.

"We must move with the times. Let us go and apply what we have learnt. Voters now want reasons; it's now an action based-campaign."

Participants described the training session as timely and useful. Former Chinhoyi mayor, Test Michaels, who is contesting in the town's Ward 14, said the workshop prepared him for a resounding victory.