HARARE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa on Friday led in the front as she joined thousands of Zimbabweans in marching for the removal of sanctions imposed on the country by the West nearly two decades ago.
The First Lady, together with thousands others, marched from an open space informally known as the Robert Mugabe Square close to the central business district right through to the National Sports Stadium, about six kilometers away, the venue for the inaugural national event convened to call for the removal of the sanctions.
The day was set aside by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at its last annual summit in August for member states to stand in solidarity with Zimbabwe in collectively calling for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions.
Zimbabwe declared the anti-sanctions day a holiday to afford Zimbabweans a chance to partake in the activities of the day.
Some of the marchers held placards condemning the sanctions, some reading: "Sanctions are a form of modern day slavery", "Sanctions are a crime against humanity", "Sanctions must go now" and "Sanctions are weapons of economic destruction".
Zimbabweans in other parts of the country were also holding various activities to denounce the sanctions and call for their removal.
At the National Sports Stadium, various speakers including representatives of SADC chair, the church, business, war veterans, traditional chiefs and school children all unequivocally called for the lifting of the sanctions.
The speakers denounced the sanctions, saying they had impacted negatively on Zimbabwe's socio-economic development as well as on the SADC region.
In a speech read on his behalf by a representative from the Tanzanian Embassy in Harare, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said his country will continue to call for the lifting of the embargo, and urged other countries in the SADC region to also support Zimbabwe in its call for the removal of the sanctions.
"As Tanzania, we also call upon other SADC member states to continue standing together with Zimbabwe to ensure sanctions are removed as soon as possible," said Magufuli, who is the current SADC chairperson.
Acting Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Amon Murwira said the march was a clear, bold and unprecedented statement by the Zimbabweans for the sanctions to be removed.
"We have not come to insult anyone; we have come to demand just treatment. The people of Zimbabwe know that we cannot eliminate the injustice of sanctions by insulting," the minister said.
Deputy Minister of Defense and War Veterans Victor Matemadanda said the march proved that Zimbabweans were fed up with the sanctions.
"Zimbabwe says sanctions must go; this must be a clear message. People from churches, from all walks of life are saying sanctions must go and indeed they must go," he said.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa commended SADC's resolve to collectively denounce sanctions on Zimbabwe.
"We need this albatross removed. The sanctions are illegal. Truly, sanctions are a weapon of mass destruction," she said.
Various activities will be held across SADC on the day to collectively call for the lifting of the embargo, which has cost the country billions of U.S. dollars in revenue, potential investment and bilateral donor support, according to the Zimbabwe government.
