OPPOSITION MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has psyched
up hard-pressed Zimbabweans to liberate themselves from the heavy Zanu PF yoke
which he claims has shrunk the democratic space and deprived citizens of the
much-needed breath.
Chamisa, evicted from his party headquarters by his rival
Thokozani Khupe of the MDC-T with the aid of armed soldiers and police in a
Thursday night raid, yesterday tweeted: “We can’t breathe.”
Apparently, these were the last words by slain
African-American George Floyd, who was choked to death by police late last
month, triggering unprecedented mass riots against United States President
Donald Trump’s administration.
“It’s not about me or the MDC Alliance, it is about the
people of Zimbabwe, the democratic space is being choked by Zanu PF and it is
time we act, draw a line in the sand or we will be choked to death,” he said.
“Look at how everyone has become an enemy of the State and
under siege, first it was the doctors, then they came after journalists, then
lawyers, human rights activists, the whole nation can’t breathe now,” he said.
Human rights watchdogs locally and abroad have raised
concern over increased human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, which drew
international condemnation.
But Zanu PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa last week
shot down reports of human rights abuses and dictatorship by President Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s administration, saying there was no repression in the country to
justify protests.
He, instead urged Zimbabweans to protest against sanctions
imposed by the US government which he claimed had economically choked the southern
African nation. His sentiments were, however, dismissed by the opposition and
Western diplomats as a sideshow.
The clampdown on human rights defenders climaxed last week
with the arrest of Chamisa’s lawyer Thabani Mpofu for allegedly falsifying the signature
of a “non-existent” Simbarashe Zuze in a Constitutional Court challenge over
the appointment of Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi.
This was later followed by the arrest of his party
executives on Friday after they attempted to reclaim their party headquarters
sealed off by security forces.
Chamisa on Saturday also accused his political detractors
of fomenting a culture of hate, label, condemnation and terrorism in the
country.
Chamisa, who was accused of receiving advice and funding
from former members of the vanquished G40 faction of Zanu PF in the run-up to
the 2018 harmonised elections, said clueless leaders thrived on labelling
opponents.
“Yes, I am G40, my age is 42, so what? It is a Zanu PF
party culture of label and condemnation. I am not seeking to be the president
of MDC. I am already the president of MDC Alliance and I am not going to be
reduced into petty fights. I am seeking to establish national consensus for all
people. I am not going to label people condemning them because of who they are.
I know I am going to lead Zimbabwe including Mnangangwa and his Zanu PF, so I
am going to lead the entire nation. Why should I say I don’t want to see
Mnangagwa when you are a leader you must unify people.
That is my fundamental problem with Mnangagwa. Instead of
unifying people, he is waging a gap of hatred within people,” Chamisa said.
Chamisa said the petty fights in the opposition were being
engineered by Mnangagwa with the aid of security forces to destroy him
politically.
“Mnangagwa is forgetting real issues on the ground that
include a collapsing the economy, the economy is in the doldrums and corruption
has become the new national religion. We are being treated like this because we
have refused to be involved in their mess of abusing citizens,” he said.
In reference to the Thursday night raid and seizure of his
party offices, Chamisa said: “These are desperate attempts by individuals who
have realised how desperate their circumstances are. It is a passing phase. We
know this issue has been visited upon us by our brother Mnangagwa. This is not
an MDC issue, but was visited upon us by Mnangagwa. We don’t want this
Banyamlenge or Al-Shabaab mentality.
“They come in the dead of the night to take over our party
headquarters, are you a witch? It’s very unfortunate, but we are not worried
about it because we have been in politics for a long time,” he said.
The US Senate on Foreign Affairs Committee also accused the
Zimbabwean government of going all out to obliterate the opposition instead of
addressing real unresolved issues which include COVID-19, the deepening
economic crisis and humanitarian despair.
Senator for Delaware Chris Coons speaking on the issue
said: “I’m watching the situation in Zimbabwe with deep concern. The violent
takeover of the MDC headquarters is unacceptable. The arrest of opposition
political party leaders, including Tendai Biti is unacceptable. I oppose any
attempt to erode political rights of the Zimbabwean people.” Newsday
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