MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has accused President Emmerson
Mnangagwa of abrogating on his duties and resorting to violence in the face of
demands by people that he fulfils his constitutional mandate.
Speaking at the funeral of one of the victims of the
security force’s heavy-handed response to last week’s protests, Chamisa said if
Mnangagwa ignored the people’s economic plight he would continue to be under
pressure and things would not get any better for the Zanu PF leader.
“If you check, the constitution demands the President to
serve the country, not to beat the people when they demand him to serve them,”
Chamisa told mourners at the burial of Tinashe Choto in Chitungwiza.
“He has failed on his duties. Government has no right to
take away the life of the people, but to protect them. Tinashe died not because
he was sick, but because government is sick.”
Choto was shot in the head on Monday when violence broke
out in Chitungwiza and all over the country during the stayaway called by the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and backed by civil movements, including
Tajamuka and #ThisFlag Movement.
He was coming from the nearby Makoni shopping centre where
he had gone for soccer betting when he was caught in the cross fire. A bullet
ripped off part of his head when he moved from a mango tree where he had taken
refuge.
The 22-year-old, who was the captain of Chitungwiza City
Football Club, is survived by a wife and a seven-month-old baby.
Chamisa, who said he attended the funeral as a private citizen,
said Mnangagwa had no justification to use the military no matter the gravity
of protests.
He said it was government’s responsibility to respect the
sanctity of life as provided in the constitution under the Bill of Rights, not
vice versa. Chamisa blasted the government for failing to send even a
low-ranking official to console the family and offer burial assistance.
“I want to write a letter to Mnangagwa, asking him why he
is killing his people. We want to take the matter up with Sadc, the UN and all
organs and tell them that the people are under siege from their own
government,” Chamisa said.
He blasted the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation for biased
reporting; warning such “type of reckless reporting” was causing divisions in
the country and had the potential of causing a Rwanda-type genocide
At least 12 people have reportedly been killed by the
military and other state agents since violence broke out during last week’s
protests. Government has blamed the MDC for the violence. Standard
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