By Own Correspondent- In an interview with SABC Foreign Editor Sophie Mokoena, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remove sanctions against dictatorship first as he calls for the removal of targeted sanctions.

The opposition leader however reiterated South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Chamisa’s comments comes following revelations by the United States recently that targeted sanctions had been extended by one more year adding that they will only be lifted if Harare implemented certain reforms.

Said Chamisa:

“We have said sanctions are not good for any country but the key thing for us is to focus on the things we can control. Why should we allow sanctions against our people to continue. Sanctions against our people through rape. Sanctions against our people through arresting those who are not guilty or who have not committed any offence. Sanctions against our people when we brutalize and beat up citizens even killing citizens on the streets. Sanctions when we deploy armed military men on the streets when it is not necessary. Those are sanctions we can immediately deal with. So sanctions of dictatorship must go, All we can do is to deal with the things we can control.”

When asked if he supports SADC or the African Union on the calling of lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe, Chamisa said his party wants to see normalisation of relations. He however said there can never be international re-engagement without national dialogue. Chamisa said he has reached out but President Mnangagwa has not responded. Said Chamisa:

In fact we support the position of Zimbabweans that they would want to see re-engagement and normalisation of relations. But there can never be international re-engagement without national re-engagement. If we cannot dialogue amongst ourselves it becomes very difficult to convince the international community and the world that indeed we want and are ready for dialogue.