A CALL FOR ACTION ON 31st JULY 2020 by Mavis Harrison

16^th July 2020

By Mavis Harrison nee Tshuma

We, the people of Zimbabwe have been subjected to dictatorship for too long, for four decades to be precise.

We have watched while the dictatorship spread its tentacles slowly but surely into all institutions that run all facets of our lives, firstly under Robert Mugabe and now under Emmerson Mnangagwa.

We allowed this to happen for too long until the state was captured. Now our country is in the hands of a cartel, led by the military, fronted by Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, an unrepentant murderer and author of a genocide called Gukurahundi.

Since this man came into power, through a coup in November 2017, murder, abductions and many other forms of persecution of citizens have become the order of the day. More than 20 cases of direct and fatal shootings by the army and more than 50 cases of abductions by state agents have been recorded. This is over and above hundreds of cases of other forms of persecution which include rape as a political tool, random arrests on trumped-up charges, intimidation and displacements.

The economy is on its knees due to a combination of ill-informed government policies and high-level corruption. The corruption has got to a level whereby billions of US dollars are siphoned from the state coffers in daylight, without approval from parliament. Bizarre as it may sound, it’s happening whilst we watch.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has become a conduit for grand theft by the political elite and their cronies whilst the average citizen wallows in poverty and lives on handouts from well-wishers and the donor community.

The health sector has literally collapsed and so has other essential services like water, sanitation, electricity and roads infrastructure.

The mining sector is now in the hands of the cartel and is now a haven for pillage and crime with Mnangagwa himself as the major player.

Agriculture has gone to the dogs and Zimbabwe has turned from being the breadbasket of Africa to a basket case. Zimbabwe now relies on imports, mainly donations from the international community.

I could go on and on analyzing sector by sector and the story of decay is repeated right across.

The people of Zimbabwe are suffering with no end in sight. Elections offer no hope as the process is always manipulated in favour of ZANU-PF and the results are always rigged.

Which brings us to the question, whitherto Zimbabwe?

My take on this is that we are going to have to go onto the street, to march and demand the resignation of Emmerson Mnangagwa and his entire government. The whole ZANU-PF must go so that we start on a clean slate.

If ever we are to dream of servant leadership, the return to the rule of law, respect for human rights, a functioning economy, an independent judiciary, a professional army, a professional Police force, a professional civil service, good governance, good public service and all the good we expect of our nation, we are going to have to take the bull by the horns.

31^st July 2020 is the day that has been penciled for a countrywide demonstration by citizens regardless of political party affiliation.

Mine is a clarion call to all Zimbabweans to heed the call for mass action and march in our millions, demonstrating against the evil regime.

We demand an end to state-sponsored murders, abductions, torture, rape, intimidation and all other forms of persecution of citizens.

We demand an end to corruption by Mnangagwa and his cronies. We demand good governance.

We demand an independent Judiciary, an independent Electoral Commission, a non-partisan and professional Army, a non-partisan and professional Police Force. We demand non-partisan application of the law. We demand the release of members of the opposition and civil society activists who have been arrested on trumped-up charges. We demand the implementation of political reforms as advocated for by the Motlanthe Commission. We demand the upholding of all our rights and freedoms as prescribed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the African (Banjul) Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Above all, we demand the immediate resignation of Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government.

Enough is enough. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa must go, come 31^st July 2020.

#31^st July 2020

About the author;-

Mavis Harrison is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on mandiwenisteve1964@gmail.com