AFRICA, with all its potential and resources, remains a struggling continent.
And it struggles for the simple reason that it has been made the playground of the so-called super powers.
We have been made a continent that should always obey the ‘big brother’, who, if we do not obey, has the power to raise and arm noisy puppets, who make life difficult for un-cooperating governments.
The divide-and-rule strategy has been effectively used against us as a people.
Thus, it is heart-warming, when we unite and work for the development, not just of our beloved Zimbabwe but the region and continent as well.
Today, SADC, Africa and the rest of the world join us as we march against the Western-sponsored illegal economic sanctions on the country.
There is nobility in that fight.
There is solidarity in that battle.
There is honesty in that quest for the freedom our economy.
The devastating effects of those sanctions have been there for everyone to see.
Livelihoods have been destroyed.
Companies operating in Zimbabwe have had their funds either frozen or seized by Western countries, the US in particular.
Our infrastructure has been severely affected by the same.
And in spite of these debilitating challenges, our people have stood tall while our brothers and sisters are joining us in saying NO to this evil.
As a people, we have laboured under difficult circumstances and a harsh economic environment just because the West can ‘tighten the screws to make us scream’ in agony until we allow them to run all over us.
The tobacco producers, communal farmers, artisanal miners and the indigenous businesspeople, no one has been spared.
And they are the true and real heroes of our fight against imperialism and neo-colonialism.
They are our battle-hardened soldiers of the struggle for total economic emancipation of the black people.
Today, the right thinking world recognises their quest for total self-determination.
We give them and Government credit for striving to develop the masses.
The removal of sanctions is critical to achieving Vision 2030.
This is a policy that seeks to make the country a critical player in global political and economic affairs.
This is why it is an all-encompassing policy that makes every citizen of this country a critical player in the development agenda.
Projections that the country’s exports will hit the US$14 billion mark feed into that thrust.
But that target hinges mainly on innovation by students and industry, innovation that can be made possible by the removal of sanctions.
Of course we can develop our own goods, create our own products, we can value add our products but allow us to do so without unnecessary burdens.
We commend SADC for coming on board to support our cause.
These actions are not futile as some would want to insists.
They are important; there is no stopping a word that has been released.
Africa will not be bullied and pummelled into submission and remain silent.
And we are not alone in our struggle; our brothers and sisters on the continent care.
Lest we forget, this is also the month we remember our African fallen heroes of the cause — Samora Moises Machel of Mozambique, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere of Tanzania, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, among others.
This is the way to go for Africa, let us back each other up.