By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
Civil activism that has largely been confined to urban areas is now extending to rural communities, for long seen as the ruling Zanu PF’s stranglehold.
A new protesters formation, #ZimbabweYadzoka (Zimbabwe is Back) last Friday took its campaign to villagers in Macheke in Mashonaland East province as part of a scheme to educate non-urban dwellers on political and economic developments.
The outfit is an offshoot of #Tajamuka, a group that recently participated in mobilising Zimbabweans to protest against corruption, unpopular policies, human rights abuses and bad governance.
“We are a non-political organisation. We are just here to give rural people civic education telling them about what is going on in the country.
“We have come here to ask from the people and also provide them with information and what we see is that the issues articulated and expressed under #Tajamuka/Sesijikile and under #ThisFlag in urban areas are also resonating in rural areas,” Victor Chimhutu, the coordinator said during the Macheke outreach.
“Issues raised here are that people need jobs, they need good leadership and that the current leadership has failed,” added Chimunhu.
Most rural household members live on less than a dollar a day and are starved of information relating to current affairs, a trend that critics say has helped Zanu PF maintain its grip on non-urban voters.
Citizens are becoming more daring in their confrontation of the government of President Robert Mugabe who is accused of running down an economy that was once hailed as the jewel of Africa. Nehanda Radio
