Source: Mark Cladwell, AFP, Reuters
“Mugabe must go” has become the common chorus heard at almost every pro-democracy protest in Zimbabwe over the last four months.
Protests now take various forms: the mass stay away, in which Zimbabweans stay at home rather than going to work, the one-man protest, the waving of placards, social media hashtags and petitions. Women have taken to the streets beating pots and unemployed graduates played soccer on the capital’s main thoroughfare wearing their graduation gowns.
Sam Monroe, from the civics rights organization Magamba Network, told DW that the established political parties and many in civil society have run out of ideas as to how to combat Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis.
“New movements have filled that space because the economic situation is deteriorating so much and is affecting everyone,” he said.
One such protest was the #ThisFlag movement led by pastor Evan Mawarire. His first video was posted in April when he ranted about how the Zimbabwe flag’s colors have lost significance because of alleged political mismanagement. The video attracted over 120,000 views on the day it was posted.
‘Nothing to lose’
More recently, the website “Jeune Afrique” reported on Thursday that five church-based groups in Zimbabwe had urged the government to acknowledge that the country needs an “extraordinary response to rescue it from total collapse.”
Political scientist Eldred Masunungure said there was “an outburst of public anger” in Zimbabwe which had come about as a response to various factors including bad governance, infighting in the ruling ZANU-PF party over President Robert Mugabe’s succession and economic hardships that have condemned millions to poverty.
Mugabe has been in power since independence from British colonial rule in 1980. He has avoided naming a successor despite his advanced age and concerns over his fitness to rule.
Independent analyst Dumisani Nkomo said poverty and economic hardship are forcing people onto the streets.
“People don’t have [an] option, they have nothing to lose because they know if they don’t protest they will die, with their children, of hunger,” Nkomo said.
Constitutional right
President Robert Mugabe and his government appear unmoved by the protests, unleashing police to brutally quell demonstrations with tear gas, water cannon and physical assaults. The right to demonstrate is laid down in the country’s constitution but, as activist Dirk Frey told DW, the document “has yet to fully implemented.”
Another rights activist, Patson Dzamara, told DW he had been arrested and beaten on several occasions. He criticized the police for using excessive force during peaceful demonstrations.
“We do not want oppression, we do not want war,” he said.
Lawyers like Fadzayi Mahere have been kept busy in the courts defending jailed protestors. She condemned the police violence.
“Acting violently is unconstitutional, it is unlawful and is contrary to the powers given to the police in terms of the constitution,” Mahere told DW.
Privilege Musvanhiri in Harare contributed to this report
Source: Mark Cladwell, AFP, Reuters