…As tension rises
TINASHE MAKICHI
Tension is rising ahead of tomorrow’s planned protests against corruption and an economic implosion that has relegated many Zimbabweans to abject poverty as the ruling Zanu PF and the opposition political parties trade barbs amid fears of violence.
The country, has since the beginning of the week been experiencing political intolerance after the ruling Zanu PF accused opposition political parties, civil society and Western diplomats of allegedly plotting to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Human Rights organisations are however, of the opinion that there is enough evidence that where language of hate is unleashed, violence usually follows.
In 1999, ahead of the land reform programme former President, the late Robert Mugabe, told his supporters that they must ‘strike fear into the hearts of the white men’ and what resulted was an outbreak of violence in commercial farms.
Opposition Transform Zimbabwe president Jacob Ngarivhume, who is currently locked up for inciting violence, has been leading the campaign, which has to date been endorsed by several opposition leaders including MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa and Build Zimbabwe president Noah Manyika.
The protests are coined to register displeasure on alleged high-level corruption in government corridors as well as the deepening economic crisis Ngarivhume and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono have since been arrested over allegations of promoting the planned protests, which police say will turn violent.
Despite continued warnings by security agencies, the demonstration organisers have vowed to proceed with their initial plans.
The police are hunting down a number of activists in relation to the impending demonstration for interviews.
Some of the activists have called the police to do the interviews online in light of the coronavirus pandemic which has necessitated social distancing.
MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti told a Press Conference yesterday Zimbabwe was on edge due to the continued deterioration of various governance structures of the country.
“The country is on a crossroads and we have seen a multiple crisis situation in the form of humanitarian, political, human rights, economic and health crisis. All these challenges emanate from the unresolved election crisis. Zimbabwe is therefore carrying the burden,” Biti said.
Zanu PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa this week said the planned protests against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government will be dealt with harshly.
“Let me say to Chamisa and those who are calling for demonstrations on July 31, what happened (protesting) on August 1, 2018 will not happen again, what happened on January 16, 2019 will not happen again.
“We want to send this warning loud and clear to Chamisa that whatever you’re threatening on July 31, we say, come to the front and face the risk.” Chinamasa said the ruling party was calling upon “our structures to remain alert and ready to defend themselves, defend our people, their property and most importantly, defend peace in their communities against these malcontents, hired hooligans and hoodlums who rejoice at burning properties and looting”.
“Indeed, Zanu PF unambiguously reminds our people that self-defence is a right especially when your security is under threat from these violent so called protesters.
As long as Zanu PF is the ruling party, I reiterate that violence will never be permitted to revisit our societies the manner it turned out on August 1 and 14 to 16 January 2019,” Chinamasa said.
Chinamasa labelled the opposition MDC Alliance a ‘terrorist organisation’, United States Ambassador ‘a thug’ and civil society ‘evil society’.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association however, expressed its shock and concern at the increasing language of hate.
“These comments, coming from the senior leadership of a governing party must shock the conscience of all people who value peace and understand the sacred values of an open democratic society,” read part of the statement by ZimRights this week.
“Zimbabwe is founded upon the values and principles of rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedoms as outlined in section 3 of the Constitution.
The reaction by Zimbabwe’s ruling party to the peoples’ desire to exercise constitutionally guaranteed rights is unfortunate.” The planned protests come amid a worsening economic crisis punctuated by hyperinflation, erosion of income and high cost of goods and services. The crisis has been worsened by the rampaging Covid-19 pandemic
