(Last Updated on September 26, 2020 by Editor)
HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the world that Zimbabwe was on a new path and that just like any other nation in the region, it was facing humanitarian challenges, “which in our case have been worsened by the “illegal sanctions,” the negative impact of climate change and compounded by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Mnangagwa was virtually addressing the 75th United Nations General Assembly through a pre-recorded statement.
He claimed that his administration was recording notable achievements towards sustainable development.
Despite inflation currently above 700%, unemployment still over 90% and various sectors including the health and education sectors under threat due to staff that have declared themselves incapacitated, President Mnangagwa said his government’s microeconomic stabilisation reforms were yielding positive results.
Mnangagwa said due to these reforms the country’ budget deficit had been reduced to a single digit and there was a positive balance of the current account.
The Zanu-Pf leader also said the country was undertaking major infrastructure development which includes rehabilitation and construction of health facilities, water and sanitation infrastructure and roads among others.
Mnangagwa went on to say his government was in the second phase of implementing ease of doing business reforms and that there was already an increase of investment in agriculture, mining and tourism.
Despite the human rights violations happening in the country where opposition activists, human rights activists and journalists are increasingly victimised through state apparatus, Mnangagwa told the UN General Assembly that his administration was decisive in entrenching constitutionalism, democracy and rule of law.
Many have been arrested for speaking against injustices in the country with veteran journalist Chino’no currently facing outrageous charges of inciting public violence after he supported a demonstration against corruption.
Mnangagwa took the time to also appeal to the assembly to participate in the call for an end to the sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwe in the early 2000s.
The sanctions were imposed at the height of political and human rights violations by the Zimbabwe government then led by the late Robert Mugabe.
The current government has failed to implement the outlined reforms to allow for the lifting of sanctions and has instead resorted to the old Mugabe tactics of blaming the sanctions for any challenges the country is facing.
Mnangagwa said “we therefore all on the General Assembly to strongly pronounce itself against these unilateral illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe” which he said were hindering Zimbabwe from achieving the sustainable development.
Surprisingly, Mnangagwa also said the government was committed to protecting the rights of women and girls. This statement comes at a time where female activists have also been victimised by state security agents through abductions and torture.
Currently three MDC-Alliance female activists, Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova are being tormented by the state as they are accused of faking their abduction.
The charges came after they reported that they were abducted and tortured by suspected state security agents in May.
Zimbabwe is grappling with an economic and political crisis which has attracted a lot of attention globally.
However Zanu-Pf remains adamant that there is no crisis in the country and have even lashed out at the African National Congress (ANC) for speaking out and encouraging Zanu-Pf to acknowledge the existence of the crisis so as to find ways to solve it.