MDC-Alliance activists and their civil society partners
have fled the country and are reportedly holed up in South Africa after
organising the so-called stay-away that degenerated into an orgy of looting,
vandalism and lawlessness.
The pre-planned demonstrations, which were supported by
foreign-funded non-governmental organisations and social groups such as
#Tajamuka and #This Flag, left six people, including a police officer, dead.
Property worth millions of dollars was destroyed.
A source said the fugitive civil society leaders who
include Mr Rashid Mahiya, the chairperson of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Mr
Thabani Moyo, the director of Media Institute of Southern Africa, MDC Alliance
MP for Harare North Joana Mamombe, Calvin Kobiri of Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights
and director of Combined Harare Residents Association Mr Mfundo Mlilo among
others are being hosted in the neighbouring country by Amnesty International,
an anti-Government entity.
Others who fled the arrests include Tineyi Mukwena of
Abameli Lawyers for Human Rights Network, Conrad Munyaradzi who is the advocacy
and communications manager at HelpAge Zimbabwe, Tendai Chabvuta formerly with
the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum and Pride Mukono of Generational Consensus.
“The fugitives are hiding in South Africa and are now
begging their foreign handlers for funding to escalate protests in the country
following the first wave of protests that left a trail of destruction,” said
the source.
MDC Alliance activists, among them Councillor Godfrey
Kurauone of Masvingo City Council, co-ordinated and participated in the
protests.
They are reportedly hiding in Melville, Johannesburg. Five of the activists are from Bulawayo and are on the
police wanted list for co-ordinating WhatsApp groups and inciting people to protest.
“The fugitives have lined up a number of meetings with
their foreign handlers in Johannesburg to give what they term a context
analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe following the violent protests hoping
that they would be given more funding to cause anarchy in the country,” said
the source.
“During the engagements, the fugitives are expected to
present what they termed a ‘fact sheet’ and Thulani Mswelanto of CiZC has been
tasked with keeping the document safe and guard it against the possibility of
it being leaked.”
The contents of the “fact sheet” are only known to a few
civil society leaders as there seem to be no trust among them.
The civil society leaders have also roped in some
unscrupulous medical doctors to compile reports of people that were allegedly
killed or injured by security forces during the protests.
The report will be tabled during their crucial meetings
with their funders.
“The doctors that are part of the plot to discredit the
Government include Harare doctor Edgar Munatsi and Norman Matara and
Bulawayo-based Dr Emmanuel Chagonda who operates under the ZDHR,” said the
source.
Contacted for comment last night, MDC-Alliance co-vice
president Mr Elias Mudzuri said he was not privy to the latest developments.
He however, distanced his party from last week’s violent
protests.
“I am not aware of any of our members who fled the country.
As vice president of MDC Alliance and a leader who is nationalistic there is no
way we can co-ordinate violence of any sort. Protests are a constitutional right,
but we are saying as a nation, including civil society, churches and political
parties that we must sit down and ensure that people don’t fight and kill each
other during protests and destroy property. We must come together and build our
nation and find a common focus,” Mr Mudzuri said. Herald
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