Tell the sanctions story with nuance– Media urged

Tell the sanctions story with nuance– Media urged
Pretty Manyewe
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa has challenged local journalists to tell the sanctions story with nuance, exposing the negative impact they have had on the country as well as in the lives of Zimbabweans.
During the first ever SADC Anti-Sanctions Solidarity Summit (SASS) 2022, this week, Minister Mutsvangwa encouraged investigative journalism saying some of these stories need to be tackled beneath the surface.
The summit was running under the theme, “Building Media Sector Resilience and Sustainable Reforms that Leave No One and No Place Behind.”
“The media must unmask this big lie and expose the reality on the ground that the sanctions are choking. The lies are meant to turn us against each other and derail the development agenda. In this regard I implore the media to conduct investigative journalism to expose the ways and the manner in which Zimbabweans have been affected by this evil. I also urge the media to take an editorial stance against illegal sanctions. This is a time when we need journalism that repels the propaganda from the West that seeks to divide and cause disunity on Zimbabweans,” said Minister Mutsvangwa as she addressed journalists in attendance.
Historically, the genesis of the illegal sanctions were due to the national aspiration for Zimbabwe land redistribution.
The land was the core of the grievances of the liberation struggle. To this end, Zimbabwe remains under sanctions due to the reclamation of property rights by the people of Zimbabwe.
Therefore, the call for the sanctions to go, is simply Zimbabwe demanding justice and respect for post-colonial states by merchants of neo-imperialism.

“The aim of the summit is to bring Zimbabweans and media players to discuss ways of ring-fencing the sector against the punitive effects of the illegal sanctions. Under the Second Republic the media has a special role to inform and educate the nation on the misinformation and disinformation on sanctions peddled by the West and its allies that these sanctions are targeted to a few individuals,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
She also expressed gratitude to the President, Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for the transformative political culture that has been created through the promotion of the engagement and re-engagement policy.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa we have witnessed the restoration of Zimbabwe’s dignity owing to the many reforms that have been recorded in fiscal management, legislation and political participation,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.