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Blessings Chidakwa Herald Correspondent
Sanctions threaten global peace and Zimbabwe as a victim, is rightfully entitled to fight the embargo with the help of friends, Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Rungsung Masakui said yesterday. Speaking on the sidelines of a Unity Walk held in Vainona, Harare, in memory of India’s first deputy prime minister and home minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Mr Masakui said Zimbabweans should find each other on national interest.

“Yes, I know that you have been under sanctions from certain countries for a long time. SADC is supportive of that, AU also, and you are planning to organise anti-sanctions march. While that is important, sanctions are not good for the global peace,” he said.

Sadc has declared October 25 as the solidarity day against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
Mr Masakui said in speaking against sanctions, the political environment in the country needs to be “ironed out”.
“I think the present Government has done a lot of things in terms of accommodating the interests of the opposition party including during election time when the ruling party made all efforts to allow opposition parties to campaign freely in the rural areas,” he said.

On the Unity Walk, Mr Masakui said the event was a precursor to the major one which would be celebrated at the Statue of Unity in India on October 31.

“It is not a run or competition. It signifies that irrespective of how many young people are there in the group and how strong each one of us is, we say let us walk together and ensure that people who can walk faster slow down and encourage those who walk slower to walk faster. If we walk together its less tiring, we can walk longer,” he said.

Mr Masakui said the late Patel gained iconic recognition in India after he single-handedly championed for oneness, mostly the uniting of more than 500 separated states with diverse ethnic groups.

Patel was born on October 31, 1875 and died on December 15, 1950 and Indians each year celebrate his life on his birthday.