HARARE – Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party has warned the opposition against staging demonstrations during the upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) 44th Ordinary Summit and vowed to confront them on the streets if they go ahead with their plans.
The summit will be held in Harare on 17 August 2024.
Although President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made it clear that he will not permit any protests during the summit, opposition groups are increasingly determined to organise large-scale demonstrations to register their grievances with the regional body.
These government critics believe that Mnangagwa’s administration is orchestrating massive human rights abuses, corruption and economic mismanagement.
They also want SADC to resolve the electoral dispute that arose during the disputed 2023 harmonised general elections.
Prince Dubeko Sibanda, a senior opposition official and a former legislator for Binga North, this week called for protests against Mnangagwa.
“Emmerson Mnangagwa is illegitimate. He delegitimised Parliament by recalling MPs. He refused dialogue. He looted public funds through ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission).
“He’s arresting anyone opposing him and denying them bail. Nobody is safe in their home. Our safety is in the streets – TOGETHER,” Sibanda wrote on his X handle.
His sentiments have attracted attacks from Zanu-PF apologists with others calling for his arrest.
Zanu-PF director for information Farai Marapira said his party would confront protesters on the streets if they go ahead with their plans.
“Those that are saying they will be in the streets, we will meet them in the streets, and if they’re going to be in streets unlawfully, then they will see what the law is about,” he said during an interview with ZiFM on Tuesday.
Former Mt Pleasant MP Fadzayi Mahere responded to Marapira questioning his authority to deny citizens the capacity to demonstrate against the government.
She asked him to provide the specific law that empowers him to make utterances.
“Just point to one provision in law that empowers you to give citizens orders and instructions on how to behave?
“Are you above the Constitution and the law? You’re not a public official. Go and give these instructions to your voluntary association. We don’t recognize you as anything. You have no jurisdiction over us.
“Pathetic. Shameless. Unconstitutional,” she said.
Currently, former Minister Jameson Timba and 74 political activists are being detained over allegations of holding an “unsanctioned political gathering”.
Government critics, however, believe that they are being punished for allegedly plotting protests during the summit.
