By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
#ThisFlag Pastor Evan Mawarire on Thursday called on Zimbabweans to press on with citizen protests against President Robert Mugabe’s government, a day after being set free by a Harare magistrate.
Mawarire, who since April has used social media to mobilise Zimbabweans to demonstrate against corruption, bad governance, human rights abuses and a bludgeoning economic crisis, was arrested on Tuesday and taken to court the following day facing treason charges.
The magistrate, however, ruled that the charge of trying to subvert the government was unconstitutional, torching celebrations among thousands of citizens and sympathisers who had thronged the Rotten Row Magistrates Court.
Mawarire on Thursday posted a Facebook video calling on Zimbabweans to continue with demonstrations.
“Tell everyone that you know. Tell them that the pastor said we carry on with our stay-away and shutdown,” he said.
“There is a hope inside you that this country needs, and if you don’t get involved, you are robbing us of that hope,” he added.
Mawarire has become popular for draping the Zimbabwean flag and using his #ThisFlag campaign to mobilise people.
As he went to surrender himself to the police on Tuesday, the pastor urged citizens to carry on with a shutdown that had been planned for the same day.
However, no protests or stayaways were reported, but demonstrators and admirers turned up in their thousands on Wednesday as his trial that lasted until late evening took off. Nehanda Radio
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