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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
President Mnangagwa yesterday led Parliament in observing a minute of silence in honour of late former President and national hero Cde Robert Mugabe.

The minute of silence was observed before the President delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) and officially opened the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate.

Cde Mugabe died in Singapore early last month and was buried at his Zvimba rural home on Saturday.

“Before I begin my address, I kindly request the August House to observe a minute of silence in honour of the late Founding Father of our country and Former President, His Excellency Cde RG Mugabe, who passed on on the 6th of September 2019.

“As we remember him, let us stand emboldened by the fact that we cannot change the past, but the future is in our hands,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa also saluted SADC for its landmark resolution in declaring October 25 as a day for the bloc to call for the unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

“We continue to engage and re-engage with the international community. We remain indebted to Sadc, following the landmark resolution taken at the 39th Summit held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in August this year, declaring 25 October as the date for member states to collectively call for the lifting of the illegal sanctions imposed on our country.

“Zimbabwe deeply appreciates this gesture of friendship and solidarity,” he said.

Sadc countries are expected to engage in various initiatives calling on the removal of the sanctions imposed by the US and the EU.

The sanctions have caused untold suffering to ordinary people as they have cut off loans and grants for the country from multilateral institutions.

The President added that last week’s 74th UN General Assembly offered another opportunity to advance the country’s cause at the international stage.

“The 74th United Nations General Assembly held only last week, offered us yet another opportunity to advance our country’s national interests, highlighting our journey of transition, reform and growth.

“Our participation at meetings under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Tokyo International Cooperation for African development (TICAD) was also in furtherance of this goal. At all these forums, conversations were frank, positive and productive.

“Zimbabwe and the European Union formally launched their dialogue in June 2019, under Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement.

Re-engagement with the Commonwealth is ongoing, with the latest round of meetings having taken place on the sidelines of the recent 74th UN General Assembly meeting,” said President Mnangagwa.