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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) has slammed the United States government for extending its sanctions regime on the country, with the aim of causing suffering among ordinary citizens. Addressing a press conference yesterday, ZNLWVA secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda also took a swipe at MDC-Alliance principals Messrs Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti for urging the West to continue with its sanctions policy on Zimbabwe.

The US recently extended its sanctions on Zimbabwe following the signing of an amended version of the Zimbabwe Democracy Recovery Act.

“Zimbabwe, in the new dispensation, has deliberately taken a stance to promote international re-engagement with all nations,” said Cde Matemadanda.

“However, America, because of its hegemonic tendencies, has slapped us in the face through the extension of sanctions under ZDERA. Whilst pretending to be a leader in democracy and dialogue, America, in reality wants to squeeze blood out of poor nations of the world.”

Cde Matemadanda said the US had no moral ground to lecture the world on democracy and human rights as it was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people through sponsoring wars.

“Whilst pretending to be a leader in democracy and dialogue, America, in reality wants to squeeze blood out of the poor nations of the world,” he said. “They look blindly at mass murders in Palestine and the whole of the Middle East. They do not care about life, they only care about their international hegemony.”

Cde Matemadanda said while they respected the US, they condemned its big brother mentality when dealing with other nations.

“We respect America, but we don’t want the big brother mentality to maintain international hegemony, we don’t want that,” Cde Matemadanda said.

“If America is going to behave like this, we are going to call on our Government to say let us forget any effort to engage America. We want to engage people who respect us, people who take us as human beings. We are no longer slaves of America.”

Cde Matemadanda said they were prepared to die in defence of the country’s independence.
“We got it through the barrel of the gun and we have not lost our guns, we have our armouries. We can defend our revolution any time.”

Cde Matemadanda condemned the MDC-Alliance leaders and their lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu.
“As war veterans, we also want to condemn in no uncertain terms traitors Chamisa, Thabani Mpofu and Biti, who have gone to the West to invite the extension of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe,” he said.

“Whilst we welcome the democratic ideas of the opposition political parties, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the political approach of the three who have chosen to perpetuate untold suffering to the people of Zimbabwe by calling on America to extend ZDERA and continue the sanctions that have been at the root of the economic stagnation Zimbabwe has faced over the past 20 years.”