A TOP MDC Alliance executive yesterday ruled out the
possibility of entering into another South Africa-mediated government of
national unity (GNU) and threatened to scale up mass protests to force out
President Emmerson Mnangagwa's "corrupt government".
Speaking to NewsDay from his hideout, MDC Alliance
vice-chairperson Job Sikhala said: "There are moments and times we must
put a stop to all the evil around us. Zimbabwe cannot continue on this
self-destructive path imposed on the nation by Mnangagwa's rogue regime."
Sikhala said although the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance
welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to send envoys to
cool down political tension in Zimbabwe, they would resist attempts to force
them into a unity government with Zanu-PF.
This was in reference to the 200913 GNU between Zanu-PF and
the two MDCs which was facilitated by former South African President Thabo
Mbeki on behalf of Sadc.
The opposition claims Zanu-PF emerged the main beneficiary
of the unity government, although it had lost the presidential race to the late
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
"Any attempt to seek an elite political settlement
where the usual political suspects will get into an incestuous political
relationship will be totally rejected. The current struggle of the masses has
outgrown individual and political organisations' narrow interests. People want
to be the main stakeholders to the state of affairs. They want a raft of
institutional and governance reforms to entrench public interest. As long as
the attendant issues of the masses are not attended to, democratic expression
will be action without end. We have now resolved that the democratic struggle
must now be without end until all issues are attended to. We are now not going
to announce our next move. We will just act without announcement until people's
victory. It's now action without ceasing," said Sikhala, who was recently
forced into hiding by State security agents who stormed his Chitungwiza home
ahead of protests planned for July 31.
He added: "How would a normal government call its
citizens terrorists simply because they have called on it to put an end to
looting and corruption? Such an arrogant and heartless response requires a
response in equal measure from all of us. This is our country and we cannot
continue to allow perverse and intolerable behaviour to go unchallenged.
"In terms of Zimbabwe's Constitution, all Executive,
Legislative and Judiciary authority is derived from the people. Terrorists and
dark forces can only be agents of the rogue regime that are abducting,
torturing, sexually assaulting and murdering Zimbabweans who are targeted only
for political reasons.
"Rather than for Mnangagwa to end the scourge of
corruption and looting, he has unleashed State security elements to abduct,
torture, maim and intensify human rights abuses," Sikhala said.
Sikhala's call for mass protests came as South Africa's
opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema urged
Zimbabweans to stop social media campaigns and confront Mnangagwa's government
head-on on the streets.
Speaking at an EFF women's rally yesterday, Malema said
Zimbabwean youths should stop fighting from South Africa and London, where most
economic and political refugees fled to.
"Why is the youth of Zimbabwe not rising in Zimbabwe
and facing death because they are already dead? Our own comrades must stop the
hashtag revolution and engage in the real revolution. They supported us during
our struggle (against apartheid) and we must support them now," he said.
"Zimbabweans are not cowards, Zimbabweans have fought
before. Why is the youth of Zimbabwe fighting through hashtags? Why is the
youth of Zimbabwe fighting from South Africa and London? Why are they not
occupying borders in Musina? We will support them."
Added Malema: "Mnangagwa has become a pig and he is
eating his own children in Zimbabwe. He is no different to (Cyril) Ramaphosa.
When they came in, we had hope for change, but things have become worse.
"We are here at mama (Winnie Mandela)'s grave to talk
about the rights of women because she was the champion of that. Yet, next door
in Zimbabwe, the rights of the people of Zimbabwe are being violated,
particularly the rights of women."
Mnangagwa recently ruthlessly clamped down on dissent by
arresting political activists and journalists, a move that has received global
condemnation, with the United Nations (UN) secretary-general Antonio Guterres
warning last week that he was "following developments in Zimbabwe with
concern".
The UN boss urged Mnangagwa to protect fundamental rights,
particularly the freedoms of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of
peaceful assembly and association.
The United Nations Human Rights Commission also slammed increasing
cases of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, with its spokesperson Liz Throssell
saying citizens should not be persecuted for protesting peacefully.
But police yesterday said they would not allow any form of
protests during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
"Our duty is to maintain peace. Any attempts to incite
people to engage in protests during the COVID-19 restriction period will be
foiled. People must know that we are in COVID-19 restriction period and we will
arrest people for breaching those restrictions. People must protect their life
from this virus. If they try to grandstand, they will be affected by
coronavirus. This disease is real," national police spokesperson Assistant
Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
Zanu-PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said he would
only respond to Malema and Sikhala's threats after reading their statements.
United Kingdom-based political analyst Wilbert Mukori said
the opposition should not expect Ramaphosa to talk tough on Mnangagwa as they
were fellow comrades.
"President Ramaphosa and Sadc will not talk Mnangagwa
and Zanu-PF to step down since they have already endorsed the Zanu-PF regime as
legitimate. Once again, we are where we are. What can be done to move forward?
South Africa and Sadc must swallow their pride and acknowledge that the
2009-2013 GNU failed to deliver the desired democratic reforms and to stop
Zanu-PF rigging elections," Mukori said.
"They must also acknowledge that their endorsement of
Zanu-PF as the winner of the July 2018 election has left them with no political
leverage to force Mnangagwa to step down, a prerequisite for getting the
reforms finally implemented.
"President Ramaphosa and Sadc must approach the UN or
some such other nation that is not compromised to chart a roadmap to get Zanu-PF
to step down and then appoint a competent body to implement the reforms.”
Newsday
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