16th 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.
31st 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
31st July 2020.
#31st 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
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