Outspoken former Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala has launched a new pressure group, Operation Vhuserere/Imvuselelo, aimed at reigniting a “mass democratic struggle” for freedom, reform and prosperity in Zimbabwe.
Sikhala said in a statement that the National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) of the organisation launched the new group after nationwide consultations.
The statement described Operation Vhuserere/Imvuselelo as a grassroots program that will put “the masses and the people of Zimbabwe at the centre of the struggle.”
“The mass democratic struggle belongs to the people, and the people must be at the centre of every decision in the execution of our struggle,” the statement said.
“Every decision in the prosecution of the struggle shall come from the masses of our people. Our struggle had been derailed through the exclusion of our people in crucial decision-making processes in the prosecution of the struggle.”
Sikhala implored every Zimbabwean to become a “preacher” of the liberation message. “We are now all the preachers,” he said.
“Everyone in the movement is a preacher to convert everyone to be part and parcel of the next decisive phase of our struggle. Don’t be left behind. Be a preacher. Be the carrier of the message of hope and freedom to the nation. This movement is a home for everyone.”
Sikhala, a prominent figure in the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and the former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has been arrested more than 65 times throughout his political career.
These arrests, often on charges rights groups call trumped-up, have resulted in lengthy pre-trial detentions with little or no convictions.
Sikhala is seen as a fierce critic of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime. The launch of his Operation Vhuserere/Imvuselelo is likely to be viewed as a defiant act in the face of alleged government harassment.
Sikhala recently received a fine and a suspended prison sentence for allegedly spreading false information online.
This comes after nearly two years in jail awaiting trial on separate charges. He maintains the government is using the courts unfairly to punish government critics.
