THE lifting of sanctions on certain top government officials by the European Union (EU) is meaningless to Zimbabwe when the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces President Robert Mugabe and the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe remain on the disgraceful list, Airforce of Zimbabwe Commander, Air Marshal Perence Shiri has said.
The EU recently suspended illegal sanctions on eight Zimbabwean officials, among them, service chiefs, politicians and war veterans, but kept the first family on the embargos.
Those removed from the sanctions list are Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, General Constantine Chiwenga, Army Commander, Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Intelligence Supremo Brigadier-Gen (Retired) Happyton Bonyongwe, ZRP Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, Zimbabwe Prisons boss Major-Gen Paradzai Zimondi, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Cde Didymus Mutasa, and war veterans leader Cde Jabulani Sibanda.
In an interview with The Patriot on the side-lines of a donation ceremony of materials towards Tokwe-Mukorsi flood victims, Air Marshal Shiri said President Mugabe was the face of the nation and his continued unjustified ‘penalisation’ by the EU was uncalled for.
Since imposition of sanctions, the West has been removing names on the sanctions list, but this has been described as meaningless as people are demanding the total removal of the sanctions that were designed to make Zimbabwe’s economy ‘scream’.
“For us to confirm that the sanctions have been effectively lifted, the EU must start by removing the sanctions they imposed against President and the First Lady because President Mugabe symbolises the nation, he is the face of Zimbabwe,” said Air Marshal Shiri.
“Wherever he is, wherever he goes, whatever he does, it is for Zimbabwe and his continued living under sanctions means Zimbabwe will also be living under sanctions.
“People should not celebrate, there is no reason for celebrating because nothing has changed.”
Air Marshal Shiri said the Airforce of Zimbabwe would continue to campaign against the illegal sanctions imposed against President Mugabe and the country at large.
“We are in solidarity with him (President Mugabe) as has been always been the case and we shall continue to be behind our leader,” he said.
“For some of us, we are not going to travel to those countries as long as our Head of State is not allowed to travel to those countries.”
In his speech after the donation of materials for Tokwe-Mukorsi victims, Air Marshal Shiri said locals should take a lead in assisting disaster victims in the country.
“We have among us fellow Zimbabweans who are coming of age to say ‘well this is our land, we have got to do what real Zimbabweans got to do’,” he said.
“This is not to say they do not appreciate the help other nations or people may be giving us right now, but they feel it is high time we become a nation that learns to stand on its own feet in times of catastrophe.”
Meanwhile, in a speech read on his behalf at the same occasion Prisons Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi said Zimbabweans should use the new economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Social-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET) as a tool to counter the effects of illegal sanctions.
“In an effort to guide national development, the Government of Zimbabwe has crafted a new economic blue print known as Zim-ASSET, a weapon which is meant to bust sanctions which were imposed by the European Bloc and its allies.
“Thus today we are making efforts to support this socio-economic transformation agenda by resolving imbalances which were brought as a result of the effects of the illegal sanctions.
Comm-Gen Zimondi urged the corporate sector to support government initiatives to boost the country’s economy.
“Individuals, corporates and the general public should rally behind our government and provide whatever support available so that we will make a turn around to our economy which to a greater extend has a bearing on our social well being,” he said.
The donations that were directed to the AFZ Commander Charity Fund included 350 bags of cement from Comm-General Zimondi, Musha Mukadzi and local businessman, Dr Philip Chiyangwa.
The cement was meant for the construction of a clinic at Murongwe Primary School.
A local company Solahart donated food items and sanitary ware to the affected victims.
The recent floods in the Tokwe-Mukorsi area in Masvingo province were declared a national disaster by President Mugabe.