Mash East gears up for anti-sanctions match

Marondera (Chaminuka-New Ziana) – It is all systems go for Mashonaland East province to join the rest of the country and Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries on Friday in demonstrating against American and European Union (EU) illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, which have severely affected the economy.

The US and the EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe two decades ago to force the country to reverse its land redistribution programme under which excess land was compulsorily acquired from white farmers to resettle landless blacks.

This was meant to correct colonial land ownership imbalances favouring whites, and also to economically empower the marginalised majority blacks.

Addressing stakeholders in Marondera, Provincial Development Coordinator, Tavabarira Kutamahufa urged the Mashonaland East ‘family’ to come out in full force and make a bold statement in condemning the illegal sanctions.

He challenged the District Development Coordinators from all the nine administrative districts in Mashonaland East who were all present to work closely with the political leadership in their localities to mobilise their people to travel to Marondera, the provincial capital, where the event will be held.

“We have to work as a team to make sure that the anti-sanctions march and rally that we will hold as a province becomes a success. We want the event to be a success.
“There are people with other motives who might want to infiltrate the programme of the day and they must be warned that we will not brook any misdemeanour from them. It will be an anti-sanctions, not anti-government programme,” said Kutamahufa.

He added that schools, colleges, churches, civil servants and other stakeholders were expected to actively participate in the event so that the world sees and hears that Zimbabweans have had enough of these illegal sanctions.

“Students from all tertiary institutions in the province like Nyadire Teachers’ College in Mutoko, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST) and both Kushinga Phikelela Polytechnic and Agricultural Colleges must be assisted to come to the occasion as they are also seriously affected by the economic embargo,” said Kutamahufa.

He said enough fuel has been made available by the central government for the exercise.

He also indicated that only two districts, Wedza and Marondera will participate at the provincial event whilst the rest of the districts which include Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, Mudzi, Mutoko, Murewa, Goromonzi and Seke will join the rest of the country at the main event in Harare on the same day.

“Since Harare will be hosting the main event, there is no way it can successfully host such a big event without the involvement of neighbouring provinces such as ourselves, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central,” said Kutamahufa.

A procession will start in the Central Business District and people will march to Rudhaka Stadium where the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Senator Appolonia Munzverengi will address them.

Various local artistes and those from other districts in the province are expected to entertain the crowd while a soccer match has also been organised.
Chaminuka-New Ziana