Seventy-four per cent of people who took part in an online poll conducted by ZimLive said they want sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Western powers to be ‘deepened’.
The publication asked its readers ahead of the anti-sanctions day if the targeted sanctions should be ‘lifted’ or ‘deepened’ and a shocking 74 per cent of the over 6 000 people who voted were in favour of the embargo being broadened. Only 26 per cent said the sanctions should be lifted.
This could be attributable to lies that have been said about the sanctions over the years, with some people arguing that the sanctions only affect the targeted individuals.
According to a 20 August 2018 special report by newZWire, the truth of the matter is that:
… [American] sanctions have had a real impact on Zimbabwe’s economy, but ZANU-PF is obviously lying and exaggerating when it blames sanctions for everything that has gone wrong economically.
Sanctions are not responsible for corruption, ZANU-PF’s wanton looting of national resources, and its overspending.
Equally, those that completely deny the impact of US sanctions are dishonest. Beyond that, the suggestion that democratic reforms alone will be enough to have the US lift sanctions ignores the history of ZIDERA, the politics of key proponents, and some of ZIDERA’s key demands on land.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries on 25 October came together to call for the lifting of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the US, the United Kingdom and the European Union.