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Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

Zimbabwe will continue to be innovative and come up with ways to survive despite the yoke of illegal sanctions that have been imposed by Western countries, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Frederick Shava has said.

Minister Shava said this yesterday while fielding questions from the media during a post-Cabinet briefing held in Harare.

He said President Mnangagwa called for the removal of sanctions at the just ended 78th United Nations General Assembly that was held in new York last week.

“I do not think we can do more than encourage those that imposed sanctions to say the land reform programme is here to stay. Yes you will meet those that support us, there are a lot of countries at the UN who have been supporting and calling for the removal of the sanctions. We are doing the best we can,” said Minister Shava.

“In the meantime therefore we must continue to survive as a country, we must continue to think out of the box, to say if these sanctions work for a long time how can Zimbabwe survive. 

“You have listened to some of the programmes in agriculture and other sectors which shows that we are thinking outside the box, sanctions or no sanctions Zimbabwe will survive.”

He said they are engaging the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union for the removal of sanctions and they have been positive response.

“So our targets really should be the UK and the European Union, but we all know now that after the Brexit the EU has remained on its own and have now removed sanctions on Zimbabwe. 

“We are talking even now to the UK and they are saying they have targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe, so we are pushing that even the targeted sanctions are removed so that every Zimbabwean nationals are free to meet with whoever they want. So in terms of aggression we cannot do more than talk and persuade to people to believe that these sanctions are hurting the people of Zimbabwe, the same with the US,” he said.

Earlier on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said Minister had briefed Cabinet about President Mnangagwa’s highly successful visit to the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“The nation is being informed that in his address to the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency the President stressed the compelling need to strengthen multilateralism for the world to effectively respond to the multi-dimensional and interlinked crises facing the global community. 

“He highlighted the benefits of the land reform programme in Zimbabwe, particularly the record production of wheat and tobacco. He emphasised that previous crop production records had been surpassed, adding that the country is now food secure,” he said.

“His Excellency the President deplored the continued application of the unilateral sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, which were causing immense suffering among the generality of the people. Leaders from Angola, Cuba, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa joined his Excellency the President in calling for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions.”