President Emmerson Mnangagwa left for New York last night for the 74TH Ordinary Session of United Nations General Assembly, where the country is likely going to get a huge backslash over its deteriorating human rights abuses a subject which Mnangagwa deliberately did not include in his issues for presentation to the Assembly.

In his address to the nation last night, the Mnangagwa said the country would use the platform to call for the removal of the isanctions imposed on Zimbabwe forgetting that the sanctions are a result of the country’s history of gross human rights abuses.

Mnangagwa said his other key focus discussion areas will be climate change and the sustainable development goals.

“I shall be leaving for the United States of America where Zimbabwe will join other nations of the world at this year’s session of the UN General Assembly,” he said.

“For us, we have a particular interest in discussions around climate change and Sustainable Development Goals. Our country, alongside three others in the region, was this last March hit by a deadly cyclone which claimed many lives; which displaced many of our people and damaged a lot of our infrastructure.

“We are still grappling with the after-effects of Cyclone Idai, as indeed we continue to reel from effects of a climate change-induced severe drought. Even though Zimbabwe’s contribution to emission of gases that damage our ozone layer is negligible, its exposure to climate change-related crises is horrendous.

“We thus have a direct interest in discussions and decisions which the nations of the world take on this very matter which blight our prospects and retard the attainment of SDGs.”

On his issue of sanctions Mnangagwa said;

“Alongside Africa and the progressive world, we will continue to use the UN platform to speak against illegal sanctions imposed against our country by the West.

“As I leave for New York, Zimbabwe is heartened by the recent decision of Sadc, declaring 25th October as the Day of Action Against Illegal Sanctions.

“We in Zimbabwe, who are on the receiving end of these illegal sanctions, should speak the loudest and campaign the hardest against them,” President Mnangagwa said.