Kenneth Mtata, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, has dismissed social media reports suggesting that he participated in the march against sanctions on Zimbabwe by the United States and other Western states.
Mtata told Zim Morning Post on Friday that he was in support of the march against sanctions imposed by the US and its allies on the country from 2001. He said:
Our position on sanctions has not changed. We maintain that the government should act responsibly.
Mtata said that sanctions have to be removed, but, at the same time, the Government of Zimbabwe must also work towards enhancing democracy in the country.
His remarks come when the nation is divided over whether sanctions need to be removed or not. Whilst the government insists that sanctions have to be lifted as they have caused “untold suffering to the general populace”, the opposition MDC, on the other hand, argues that sanctions must only be removed when the government has stopped abusing human rights.
More: Zim Morning Post