GOVERNMENT has warned the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) against taking any action which may likely cause an uprising in the name of democracy.
The remarks were made by Foreign Affairs acting minister Amon Murwira when he addressed the African Union ambassadors affiliated to Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday.
Apart from exonerating government from the CCC recalls and saying they can only be reversed by self-proclaimed secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu, Murwira subtly accused CCC leader Nelson Chamisa of “undemocratic conduct”.
Referring to Chamisa’s refusal to accept results of the presidential election in the August 23 harmonised elections Murwira said: “It is a matter of public record that one presidential candidate in the just-ended harmonised elections declared, well ahead of the polls and, brazenly in the presence of election observers and the media, that the candidate would not abide by any other result except one which ‘pronounced the candidate as the sole winner’.
“Indeed this was the second such instance in which the candidate made such a declaration. Sadly, violence ensued after such a declaration in 2018. This type of conduct is an attack on our democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law.
“Regrettably, some countries have tended to support this undemocratic conduct. As in previous instances, government will not tolerate any actions aimed at disturbing the peace under the guise of ‘democratic political processes’.”
He said Zimbabwean law enjoins the Speaker of the National Assembly and the president of the Senate to promptly act on any and all communication from political formations brought before them to effect a recall.
“Neither official can or may cause, amend, or block any such communication once placed before them. Again, it is downright false to impute responsibility for any recalls on the two Presiding Officers; or even to suggest that they have the remit to withdraw any such communication. Only authors of such communication can cause a reversal,” Murwira said.
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He also claimed that there are no political prisoners in the country, despite the opposition alleging that former Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala who has now clocked over 400 days in jail, is one of them.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya described Murwira’s remarks on Chamisa and recalls as “garbage”.
“The Constitution says elections ought to be free and fair. Observers reported that elections were not free and fair, so end of story,” he said.
“Constitution allows us to demonstrate peacefully. Have we been afforded that opportunity? Zec (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) must be independent, right? When Msengezi tried to recall ED, what happened? So the Speaker is a cyborg that responds to any letter from the street?”
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi could not be reached to comment on Murwira’s statement yesterday.
