Zimbos under siege from Mnangagwa’s apartheid mindset: Chamisa 

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro 

Zimbabwe’s main opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under-fire administration for orchestrating human rights violations to silence dissent in the wake of the ongoing Zimbabwean crisis.

Speaking at the Rotten Row, Magistrates Court on Wednesday after denial of bail for MDC Alliance official Job Sikhala, Chamisa stressed that crackdown on dissent was a by-product of a stolen presidential election which has “begotten an illegitimate government exerting coercion to maintain its grip of power.”

“Zimbabweans are under siege. The human rights situation is deteriorating. The political situation is a case of a crisis.

“You can’t say it’s not a crisis when we have senior leaders of the opposition, journalists, lawyers being terrorised, being intimidated. It will only end when we resolve a political crisis in this country.

“This is why we are saying there has to be a political settlement. Nothing will move this country forward until there is a united approach to resolve our crisis.

“We have a crisis of governance, crisis of legitimacy. The only answer is our ability to come together to unite people and move forward,” Chamisa said.

Chamisa noted that Zimbabweans had a constitutional right to stand against Mnangagwa’s brutal regime which he claimed was applying a predatory apartheid mindset to unconstitutionally terrorise its citizens.

Sikhala is facing charges on allegations of inciting public violence in connection with 31st July protests against corruption.

Ruling on the Sikhala case, Magistrate Lazini Ncube said there was reasonable suspicion Sikhala committed a criminal offence because there could have been turmoil in the country following his utterances.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing massive human rights violations perpetrated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under-fire administration which is battling an economic crisis partly blamed on corruption and mismanagement.

Over 60 people have been arrested and some of them brutalized by suspected state security agents following the 31st July anti-corruption protests.

Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who played a key role in exposing Mnangagwa, his son Collins and his wife Auxilia in allegations of corruption was arrested on spurious charges of inciting violence.

The fallout saw the arrest and dismissal of former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo. But Chin’ono was also arrested together with opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume.

They were charged for inciting violence, in connection with 31st July protests against corruption.

They are being detained at the country’s largest and notorious jail, the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

MDC Alliance national youth organiser, Godfrey Kurauone was recently arrested and charged with undermining President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s authority.

All of them including Sikhala have been denied bail. Nehanda Radio