A GROUP of disgruntled Zimbabweans in South Africa has reached out to opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and its leader Julius Malema asking for support for the protests slated for October 7.
The protesters are plotting to shut down the Beitbridge
Border Post, a development meant to force a fresh election supervised by the
Southern African Development Community (Sadc) following the disputed August
23-24 polls which saw President Emmerson Mnangagwa being declared the winner.
According to a petition dated September 18 directed to EFF,
one of the organisers, Talent Rusere, invited Malema and other South African
citizens to join them in the protests.
“This is an invitation to EFF president Malema and all
fellow South African brothers and sisters. We are very much concerned about how
illegal Zimbabwean immigrants are contributing to the deterioration of the SA
economy leading to an increase in the unemployment rate. We are also concerned
about the undeniable involvement of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants in criminal
activities in your country.
“It’s in this regard that we need your help in assuming the
responsibility to stop illegal Zimbabwean immigration. Zimbabweans are not
happy being in SA where they are taken for cheap labour. They have a beautiful
country with more than 68 minerals being looted to SA and other countries by
Zanu PF each and everyday,” the petition partly read.
It noted that Zimbabweans were suffering under a military
dictatorship, which subjects them to torture, abduction, rape and murder.
“The economy has been centralised only to benefit the Zanu
PF elite. No opposition supporter or activist has access to the national
economy. We have become foreigners in our own country and the laws have been
skewed to dignify the perpetuation of our suffering. We have lost identity and
pride as human beings, but President Cyril Ramaphosa and the African National
Congress are standing solid with our oppressors perpetuating and buttering our
misery as a people.”
Several civic groups have been formed since the
announcement of election results in favour of Mnangagwa.
Some of the groups are galvanising the estimated three
million Zimbabweans living in SA, most of them without legal documents, to rise
up against Zimbabwe poll results.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) declared Zanu PF’s
Mnangagwa victorious with 52,6% of the vote, while CCC leader Nelson Chamisa
had 44% of the vote.
The African Union (AU) and Sadc election observer missions,
among others, reported that the elections were marred by irregularities.
Meanwhile, Zambians on Monday demanded that their
government lobbies for an inquiry into the death of their former President Levy
Mwanawasa following social media rants by Zanu PF secretary for finance Patrick
Chinamasa about his death.
According to Zambian Provincial Minister for the
Copperbelt, Elisha Matamba, Chinamasa admitted to having a hand in the death of
Mwanawasa in 2008. They further accused him of threatening to kill Zambia’s
incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema.
Chinamasa has since refuted the claims by Matamba and
indicated that he had no plans to end Hichilema’s life in whatever manner.
In a statement made on behalf of some concerned Zambian
citizens, which was addressed to members of diplomatic corps, the Press and the
general public at Mulungushi Conference Centre in Zambia, former State House
chief policy analyst under Mwanawasa, Jack Kalala, said Chinamasa’s rants were
shocking.
“In view of the unsolicited confession that Mr Chinamasa
made, it is our prayer that the Zambian government should demand for an inquiry
to be made in the death of President Mwanawasa to establish the truth.
“This is in the interest of all the African heads of State
as we wouldn’t like a situation where African presidents should be living in
fear of each other but should work together to collectively resolve the many
challenges our continent is facing,” he said.
Mwanawasa died on August 19, 2008 in France after suddenly
falling sick under unclear circumstances while attending the AU summit in Shann
El Sheik Tourist Resort City in Egypt.
“As if that was not enough, Mr Chinamasa severely warned
President Hakainde Hichilema that he too could die in the same way,” Kalala
added.
Hichilema, who is the Sadc Troika on Politics, Defence and
Security chairperson, and Sadc election
ovserver mission head Nevers Mumba, have been at the receiving end of Zanu PF’s
wrath over a post-election assessment report which certified that Zimbabwe’s
polls had failed the free, fair and credibility test.
Zimbabwe-Zambia relations have been frosty following the
disputed August 23-24 harmonised elections. Newsday
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