MDC senator, Douglas Mwonzora has told the ruling ZANU PF party not to blame sanctions for its failure to manage the country’s economy.
The former party spokesperson and secretary-general said:
The (last Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian) Smith regime had sanctions imposed by the United Nations and it also had a war on top of that which was consuming about $1 million per day.
They had strong businesses that the local currency was able to sustain and it was powerful, compared to so many other countries whilst under those sanctions.
In South Africa, there was apartheid, they were under sanctions for a long time but their mines were operational, industries were running and employment was there.
Why is it that our government is failing to think like what others who were under sanctions were doing? The Governments that I have mentioned were able to keep the local currency stable, so why not us?
World Powers imposed sanctions against Rhodesia after the settler regime unilaterally declared independence from Great Britain and refused to start the process towards majority rule.