Harare, July 11 (Xinhua) -- "If the sanctions [of the United States] are unconditionally lifted, we will leave immediately and will not stay for a second." Otherwise we would stay here forever. Sally Ngoni, founder of Zimbabwe's "Broad Anti-Sanctions Coalition," told Xinhua.
Since March 29, 2019, members of the group have "camped" in front of the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe, holding regular protests against long-standing economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and its Western allies.
"America is celebrating, here it is suffering"
The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe is one of the largest and most luxurious institutions in the embassies and consulates of various countries. Opposite the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy are two improvised tents set up by the Broad Coalition against Sanctions for men and women. A sign outside the tent reads the number of days since the tent camp was set up.
The tent is furnished with simple furniture such as beds, tables and wardrobes. Ngoni told reporters that there were 52 members living here at the most, and after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the number of residents in the tent has decreased, and there are currently 18 members living here. When regular protests are held, members of the organization who do not live in tents come to participate.
Independence Day, July 4, is the day when the Broad Coalition Against Sanctions holds regular protests. Zimbabweans gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy, waving placards and singing songs condemning the sanctions.
Members of Zimbabwe's Coalition Against Sanctions held placards in front of the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, on July 4, opposing long-standing economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and its Western allies.
Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Tafara Muguara)
Jeska Fushiayi, a 48-year-old demonstrator, said she wanted to remind the United States through her actions that millions of Zimbabweans are starving or falling into poverty as the United States celebrates its own Independence Day. As a permanent resident of the tent, she said she would stay in the tent until the United States lifted sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Ngoni told reporters that members of the group decided to set up camps here after realizing that most of the problems faced by Zimbabwean people, especially teenagers, stemmed from sanctions from Western countries such as the United States. "Sanctions are actually the main cause of many of Zimbabwe's problems. Every Zimbabwean citizen has the right and the duty to uphold the independence and sovereignty of his or her country. ”
20 years of sanctions, the people are the most "hurt"
Due to the historical problems of the colonial period, most of Zimbabwe's land, especially high-quality land, was once in the hands of white farmers. In 2000, the Zimbabwean government began agrarian reforms that nationalized the land of white farmers and distributed it to blacks. This move has aroused strong dissatisfaction in the United States and other Western countries. On December 21, 2001, then-U.S. President George W. Bush approved the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act. It has been more than 20 years since the United States began sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe forwarded a statement by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Price on October 15, 2021, to Xinhua News Agency to represent the U.S. position on sanctions against Zimbabwe. Price said that the US sanctions against Zimbabwe only target individuals and entities, not against ordinary people in Zimbabwe.
But in fact, the cascading effects triggered by such sanctions have a wide range of effects. Sanctions have led to U.S. companies reluctant to do business with Zimbabwe for fear of punishment, which in turn has affected Zimbabwe's economic and trade exchanges with other countries, ultimately dealing a devastating blow to the country's economy. In this process, the most "hurt" are the ordinary people of Zimbabwe.
Members of Zimbabwe's Broad Coalition Against Sanctions held protests in front of the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, on July 4 against long-standing economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and its Western allies. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Tafara Muguara)
"The deadliest effect of sanctions on Zimbabwe is to portray it as a 'dalit state.'" Obert Gutu, a member of the Zimbabwe National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and former deputy minister of justice, pointed out that Due to sanctions from the United States and other Western countries, Zimbabwe has not been able to obtain international loan financing. He called the sanctions "weapons of mass destruction" and prevented the Zimbabwean government from obtaining funds to repair infrastructure such as roads and hospitals. "Millions of ordinary Zimbabweans (under sanctions) do not have access to clean water, cheap housing, infrastructure and affordable health services."
Silia Rukato, an entrepreneur who runs a garment company in Harare, told reporters she designed and produced Zimbabwe-grown garments and sold them overseas. Like other companies in Zimbabwe, receiving payments from overseas customers has been a huge headache for her. As a result of the sanctions, some U.S. payment services have been reluctant to do business with Zimbabwean companies. She can only get paid through other means, and the customer is forced to pay more.
Zimbabweans also lose jobs simply because of their nationality. According to the Zimbabwe Herald, Zimbabwean national Michael Nyyamand was denied a job application for and for and desired by andela, an Internet human resources company, on the grounds that he lived in a country sanctioned by the United States.
Denford Mutashu, chairman of the Zimbabwe Retailers Association, said sanctions from the United States and other countries had had a devastating impact on Zimbabwe's economy and the competitiveness of local businesses, deteriorating the business environment and halting foreign direct investment inflows. As a result of the direct and indirect effects of the sanctions, Zimbabwe's economy has lost more than $40 billion over the past 20 years. According to the World Bank, Zimbabwe's GDP in recent years has been only around $20 billion.
In October 2021, after a visit to Zimbabwe by the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, Alena Dohan said that sanctions by the United States and other Western countries violated the human rights of the Zimbabwean people, including the right to life, food, health, development, education, and economic and cultural rights. The relevant sanctions have had a serious impact on the food security and physical health of the entire population, especially the vulnerable groups, and have exacerbated the economic and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.
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Planner: Ban Wei Ying Qiang
Producer: Feng Junyang Wei Jianhua
Coordinator: Yan Junyan Cao Kai
Reporter: Zhang Yuliang, Cao Kai
Reporter: Tichaona Thivanantha Sukara
Editor: Wang Yujue
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform
Source: Xinhua News Agency