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Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter
ZANU-PF UK/Europe District presented an anti-sanctions petition to Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Number 10 Downing Street which implored him to persuade the European Union (EU) and the Unites States (US) to lift their embargo on Zimbabwe which has caused untold suffering to ordinary Zimbabweans.

At the 39th Summit of Heads of States and Government of SADC, which was held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on August 17-18, October 25 was declared as Anti Sanctions Day. This decision was taken in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe.

In an interview with The Herald yesterday, the ruling party’s UK/Europe District’s secretary for Administration Cde Xavier Zavare said Mr Johnson acknowledged receipt of the petition, but referred it to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Cde Zavare said he received an e-mail on Wednesday from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responding to the petition, saying the illegal embargo contained only restrictive measures.

“What we did is we passed a resolution as a district to say we needed to do something different, instead of just demonstrating on the streets among ourselves. The US and the UK are used to these kinds of things so we decided that we wanted to knock on the door of power in the United Kingdom and we presented a petition at 10 Downing Street.

“The Prime Minister responded and said we acknowledge receiving your petition but we cannot deal with this here, it is done by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Prime Minister’s office referred it there,” he said.

“I received an e-mail on Wednesday from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office SADC representative saying we acknowledge receiving your petition. They never admit that they have sanctions on us, they call them restrictive measures.”

Meanwhile, the party’s UK/Europe District leadership will be attending the 18th Annual National People’s Conference and has resolved to call for the inclusion of Diaspora structures in the party’s constitution.