UK Zim activists threaten, intimidate and bully Nick Mangwana – Jean Gasho

By Jean Gasho

I do not care that some Zimbabweans in the UK say I’m some Zanu PF agent, I’m not. Just because I do not agree with their way of doing things and choose to think for myself doesn’t make me Zanu PF. I am not a member of any political party in Zimbabwe neither am I a follower of any “political activism” of any sort. I am a woman who thinks alone and exercises my right to express my thoughts as a blogger, even if the mob attacks me.

May I also say to the UK Zim Activists that not all Zimbabweans who resides in the UK fled from Mugabe or his regime. I did not seek asylum in the UK and my life was never in any form of danger in Zimbabwe. So please do not assume that every Zimbabwean who is in the UK is here because of Zanu PF, just like they are millions of Britons living abroad in Australia, Spain, USA etc. Migrating doesn’t always mean you are “running”from the government or “running” for your life.

Now that I have got that out of the way, I will cut to the chase. I will not stand by and watch Zimbabweans in the UK, the so called “activists” who claim to fight oppression bully, harass, threaten and intimidate another human being. Yesterday Nick Mangwana, the UK Chairman for Zanu PF came under vicious attack by UK Zim opposition for travelling to Zimbabwe to attend a Zanu PF rally. I want to make it clear to UK  Zim activists that it is not a crime in the UK to support Zanu PF. Also Zanu PF members are not banned from entering or living in the UK. They also have the right and choice to live here  just like you. They also have the right to fly to Zimbabwe for Zanu PF rallies.

However according to the UK activists, Mangwana’s first crime was saying that he can go to Zimbabwe to vote whilst those in the UK don’t vote. According to the opposition in the UK, by saying this he was banning those in the diaspora from voting. Never mind that those accusing Nick of banning them from voting do not even have a political party to vote for.

They haven’t even announced their 2018 presidential candidates. All they know is recording video rants on social media and calling for demonstrations that no one bothers to turn up to. Right now Mugabe is the only presidential candidate in Zimbabwe who has announced his running in 2018.

Nick Mangwana’s second crime was saying that Evan Mawarire and Sten Zvorwadza are “nhubus” which means rebels or sell outs. Apparently it’s now a crime to say this. The irony is that Nick is being called worse names by the online trolls/followers of Mawarire and Zvorwadza.

I personally have been bullied, threatened and attacked by the followers of Evan Mawarire. Now strangely enough they are now accusing Mangwana of cyber bullying, talk about pot calling kettle black.

Mangwana has also been falsely accused of inciting violence. I listened to the video at least 5 times waiting for the part where violence is incited, unfortunately that part never came up.

The UK based activists went wild yesterday, with letters being written to the Home Office, British Prime Minister Theresa May and UK Metropolitan Police calling for Mangwana’s arrest. A Farai Maforimbo went as far as to start a petition  calling for Mangwana  to be deported because he allegedly incited violence and he is apparently a “terrorist”. So far nearly 500 people have signed the petition.

After being questioned by a few people who argued that there were no threats of violence or cyber bullying in the video, Maforimbo said Mangwana had used subliminal Zanu PF language so the threats are not direct but rather hidden. When I listened to the video I just heard a simple harmless shona message and if translated into simple English there was not even a single threat in what Mangwana said. The guy is simply advocating for the use of social media in diaspora to promote Zanu PF, which is not a crime neither is it cyber bullying or terrorism?

Are some of you “activists” on drugs or something because the level of delusion is getting out of hand. How is all this craziness going to get Mugabe out of power?

If anything you are the biggest cyber bullies of Zimbabwe, you do not hesitate to use abusive language and threaten people. You abuse people online and call it fighting Mugabe.  You are the ones inciting violence on an innocent man. You are the ones trying to take a man’s democratic rights away. Yesterday I saw disturbing comments directed to Mangwana which according to UK human rights laws are direct threats.

To Nick Mangwana, if you are reading this article I advise you to go to the nearest police station as soon as you arrive in the UK. Do not be afraid of the deportation intimidation, the Home Office are not stupid. There are no legal grounds for your deportation. You have every right to support Zanu PF whilst in the UK. These activists are not above the law that’s why Evan Mawarire was denied a UK visa to come and do useless demonstrations  here.

If a person threatens to come to your house address to “deal” with you, that constitutes of a direct threat and the UK police take that very seriously. A number of people have also threatened to visit your work place. Some are threatening to wait for you at the airport. Please do not take this lightly, go to the police and report these crimes.

Take the video along with you and ask for an independent interpreter who will be able to translate to the authorities word to word of your speech. Explain to the police that the video is the reason why your life  and that of your family is now in danger. They will be able to take it from there and the threats will be formally recorded in case something is to happen to you.

As for the Zim UK dysfunctional activists, stop being bullies and find a “normal” way to change Zimbabwe. We are all entitled to free speech. You have no right to intimidate or threaten people. Get it in your heads that Nick Mangwana will not be deported from the UK even if 4 million of you sign the petition.

Whilst Zanu PF are already organizing themselves for the 2018 elections, what are you guys doing other than recording live videos on Facebook? Why do you have to exaggerate everything and turn petty issues into wildfires? Leave Nick Mangwana alone and try doing something structured and positive towards a better Zimbabwe for a change.

You can follow Jean on Her blog Jean Gasho