Magaisa died from a cardiac arrest in the United Kingdom on
Sunday at the age of 47.
Addressing guests at Magaisa’s memorial lecture held in
Harare on Thursday, journalist-cum activist Hopewell Chin’ono said: “Contrary
to the nonsense I was reading on social
media, they (Zanu PF) approached Alex and I just felt that out of respect,
after the period of mourning if they continue, I will set the record straight.”
“We know the people. We have got names and some of them
came through me. But Alex said, ‘No. I am a Zimbabwean. If you do things right,
you do not need Magaisa’s support. Do not look for individuals. Do the right
thing and the whole country will support you’.”
Top human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said: “I believe
that we should have regular lectures to celebrate each other. Alex was a vital
core in the Constitution-making process which culminated in what we now have
which I consider a decent Constitution.”
The Constitutional Law Centre, which he founded, declared
Magaisa, the people’s national hero and set aside five days of mourning, with
various activities including the Big Saturday march in remembrance of his
famous blog the Big Saturday Read.
But police refused to sanction the Saturday candlelight
commemoration that was scheduled for today in the Harare Gardens.
In a letter dated June 9, 2022, police said, Heal Zimbabwe,
a civic society organisation that had sought authority for the march, had not
complied with provisions of the Maintenance of Peace and Order. Newsday
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