Illustrative image | Sources: Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa | Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. (Photos: Getty Images / Waldo Swiegers / Cynthia R Matonhodze / EPA-EFE/AARON UFUMELI)
In Buhera anti-sanctions demonstrations were held on 25 October and demonstrators moved from Chain business centre to Murambinda Growth Point where they were led by ZANU PF district leadership.
Addressing the demonstrators, district Chairperson Causemore Chimombe said sanctions were hurting the economy and needed to be removed unconditionally.
But some villagers who participated in the demonstrations believe that Zimbabwe’s economic decline had little to do with sanctions.
They urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remove all senior Government officials implicated in corruption as a way of improving the economy.
The United States Government has maintained that sanctions are not against the country but individuals and institutions that rank high in human rights abuses.
Laiton Marambanyika from Marambanyika village under Chief Nyashanu said while sanctions affect individual strategic institutions that are key in economic development, it was corruption by well-connected politicians that have destroyed the economy. He told The Mirror:
Connected people in government and outside have formed cartels that are stealing from government and this will take time to break.
Edwin Gamanya who stays at Murambinda Growth Point said mismanagement of the country’s resources and political patronage are contributing to economic decay.
Winmore Mafuruse, a sex worker at the growth point said they were forced to demonstrate but they believed the issue of sanctions was mere rhetoric. She said:
It’s a rhetoric mantra. It is corruption that has taken us to this point and clients are no longer paying as they used to do.
Economist Andrew Muchingami told The Mirror that the sanctions mantra is a scapegoat to hide misgovernance, corruption and incompetency by individuals in government.
However, ZANU PF activist, Tandirai Mugadza said sanctions were real and hurting the economy and therefore should be removed unconditionally.
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The challenge is that of opposing all the time . If we are discussing sanctions , we should focus on sanctions . The corruption is a different topic for another time . if we really want solutions , we should not mix issues . Sanctions are real . It is insane to think the American parliament would sit to put in place sanctions that do not work . May be in shona these Buhera people may understand . Zvirango zvehupfumi hwenyika . Hapana kunzi zvirango zvemunhu . zvinoreva kuti upfumi hwaiswa mujere sezvinoitwa munhu anemhosva unopiwa chirango opinzwa mujere . Sanctions are real and mean business of distroying the economy . If sanctions are not hurting our economy , why would America refuse to remove them ?