SYDNEY, July 9, 2023 – The Zimbabwe Information Centre (ZIC) in Sydney, Australia has launched an online anti-sanctions campaign to compel their Australian Government to remove its sanctions regime against Zimbabwe.
The centre said in a press statement the sanctions continue to be an impediment to an independent Zimbabwe’s post Robert Mugabe trajectory to development.
To sign petition follow link https://chng.it/tm62HLSy
“Australia imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe in 2002 following similar actions by the United States and European Union at the behest of Britain at the onset of the land reform programme seeking to correct historical injustices in land ownership brought about by years of colonial misrule,” it said.
For more details follow link https://saynotosanctions.com/
Australia adjusted the sanctions in 2012 and 2013 due to progress made and change of circumstances ushered in by the Inclusive Government.
The statement added, “This regime of sanctions follows the long-running United Nations British sponsored mandatory economic sanctions (see UNSC Resolution 232 of 16 December, 1966) which were meant to bring down the minority Smith regime within ‘weeks’ according to then British Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Rhodesia survived till 1980 when Zimbabwe gained independence thus showing that sanctions do not work but hurt the ordinary citizens.”
ZIC insists the Australian sanctions are out of date and urges Australians, Zimbabweans and people from other parts of the world to add their voice to the petition by signing it in support of social justice, restoration of dignity of the Zimbabwean people.
“By lifting these residual ‘smart sanctions’, Australia would increase pressure on the USA, UK and Europe to also lift these outdated measures with their perverse sweeping impacts on ordinary Zimbabweans,” reads the petition initiated by ZIC and addressed to Australian foreign affairs minister Senator Penny Wong.
ZIC is an Australian civil support organisation borne out of student activism as part of the anti-apartheid movement of Australian students operating under the auspices of the Southern Africa Liberation Centre (SALC) in the 1970s.
To this day, ZIC is still active having risen to prominence in Australia for organising and hosting Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) chairman Herbert Chitepo in July 1973 in his capacity as ZANU chairperson as well as chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity’s (OAU) African Liberation Committee.
