The ongoing violent crackdown against opposition and civil society activists is tarnishing Zimbabwe’s image ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit to be held in Harare this month and has to stop forthwith.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has been rounding up everyone they suspect could mobilise Zimbabweans to stage demonstrations during the summit, which it says will soil the country’s image.
Last week, the government sunk to new lows by sending security agents to remove four activists from a plane that was about to take off from the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
The victims were held incommunicando for several hours where they were allegedly severely tortured. One of them Vusumuzi Moyo appeared in court wearing blood soaked clothes while Robson Chere struggled to sit down in court because of the alleged torture.
The four were charged for alleged disorderly conduct over a demonstration that allegedly happened in June. Some are being charged for crimes that they allegedly committed as far back as 2019.
It is clear that the crackdown is driven by paranoia. For starters, Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees freedom of assembly and freedom of association.
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Mnangagwa’s government seems to have suspended these rights for citizens that do not subscribe to its politics. On the other hand supporters of the ruling Zanu PF are allowed to stage demonstrations wherever and whenever they want.
That is not democracy. Since taking over from Robert Mugabe in a military coup in 2017, Mnangagwa has been accused of gross human rights violations.
His administration has become notorious for abductions, torture, rape and killings.
The latest round of arrests and unjustified detention of opposition leaders and civil society activists has alarmed the world and are now a source of bad publicity for Zimbabwe.
South Africa’s co-ruling party, the Democratic Alliance, on Friday even went to the extent of calling for a change of the Sadc venue from Zimbabwe to another country. Messages of condemnation keep pouring from all over the world.
Once again, Zimbabwe is portraying itself as a country that does not respect human rights.
Zimbabwe is seen as country where differences are resolved through barbaric tactics such as torture and dragnet arrests.
Mnangagwa, who is supposed to be serving his final term, is creating a legacy of a brutal dictator who does not tolerate dissent. He has proven that his promises to be different from Mugabe were just hot air.