This follows recent threats by Mnangagwa against the
opposition following a foiled July 31 anti-government protest the national
leader said was meant to forcibly remove him from power.
"This business of branding and blaming, labelling,
condemning citizens as bad apples or terrorist to be flashed out it is
unacceptable, it is the leader who set the tone for amenity, peace and
harmony," Chamisa said Sunday.
Chamisa reminded his rival of the duties of a leader he
said should be found uniting as opposed to antagonising his people.
"The frequency of any nation is set at the top by the
leader, by the leadership, a leader take practical steps, ways means and
measures to hear what the people are saying, to listen to the citizens and hear
their plea.
"So that he is able heal not kill; comfort, not
threaten; treat not injure, to bring together and not tear apart to forgive and
not revenge to love and not to hurt.
"To encourage and not to victimize, a leader must be
able to mobilise tools plus resources to bring hope, joy, happiness, freedom to
the doorsteps of the citizens without any consideration of the shed of
political opinion.
"A leader must protect, a leader cares, a leader
comfort, a leader apologises when they make a mistake and when things are not
in order and when citizens are violated, a leader brings the nation and the
people together.
Chamisa added, "A leader must not segregate or choose,
a leader must be not be partisan, a leader must have self-respect, an inner
control, a check and red lights, a stop signal when things are not working.
"But it is only bad leaders who point fingers, who
accuse, who blame, a bad leader blame everyone and everything expect
themselves.
"They seek to explain problems instead of solving
them, they deny reality and they bury their heads in the sand."
President Mnangagwa and his administration have come under
fire for rampant abuses and intolerance towards opponents of the ruling Zanu-PF
party, government critics, journalists and church leaders.
In his comments, Chamisa bemoaned continued rights
violations in the country he described as a pariah state and epicenter of the
evil.
Chamisa said under Zanu-PF rule was now an outpost of state
terrorism against innocent, peaceful civilians.
"I come to you in unprecedented circumstances of
national crisis, things are worsening every day, the situation is
deteriorating, the situation is decaying and decomposing," he said.
"Over the past few weeks and days, our country has
attracted the attention and critical eye of the world.
"Zimbabwe has now been placed under international
radar after our country witnessed uncalled for, circumstances that meant
citizen abuse, citizen harassment and citizen violations.
"There is a global condemnation of arbitrary arrest,
detentions and abductions, torture and victimisation of the opposition, our
lawyers, medical professionals, teachers and journalists, our bishops, the
civil society leaders at large.
"Zimbabwe has been turned into a banana
republic."
The opposition leader said was however encouraged to note
that Zimbabweans have finally realised that the call to return legitimacy and
democracy in Zimbabwe has never been a partisan, political pursuit of power or
personal ambition.
"But, it is about freedom of our country and the
better livelihoods for all Zimbabweans, ending corruption, returning to full
constitutionalism and full democracy with the rule of law," he said.
"It has become so apparent that if we are all going to
wait for the other to do it, it will never get done, it will never be done, it
is about us, for us with us, none but ourselves.
"I acknowledge the goodwill and solidarity exhibited
by progressive fellow Africans in the region and on the continent but of course
globally by everyone who is concerned, who has shown their support to the
people of Zimbabwe indeed lives matter."
He also pleaded with his political opponents to stop
name-calling and hate speech. Newsday
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