News / National
Chamisa fears for his life
29 Jan 2019 at 03:47hrs | Views
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says his life is now in danger following his harassment by State security agents over the weekend.
The opposition leader, who disputes President Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidency and legitimacy was harassed twice by overzealous State security agents who blocked him from paying his last respects to the late Oliver Mtukudzi, first at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Saturday and following day at the late music icon's rural home in Madziva.
Mnangagwa won a controversial presidential poll in July last year, piping opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa who rejected the result claiming fraud.
Chamisa failed with a challenge against the poll results at the Constitutional Court.
Since then, the political atmosphere in the country has remained febrile and worsened over the past two week after the government used lethal force to quell violent demonstrations against economic hardships.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure however, said the Mtukudzi funeral furore was only a mirror image of the toxicity in the country's political environment.
"It may well be that the cause of that attitude is the toxic nature of our politics and the partisan nature of our politics," said Masunungure.
"The ruling party and the associated state security agencies interpret issues in a partisan manner; even non-political events including the funeral of a musician as well as the celebration of his life.
"The look at everything with security lenses and think of the political profit and loss of everything."
The opposition leader, who disputes President Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidency and legitimacy was harassed twice by overzealous State security agents who blocked him from paying his last respects to the late Oliver Mtukudzi, first at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Saturday and following day at the late music icon's rural home in Madziva.
Mnangagwa won a controversial presidential poll in July last year, piping opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa who rejected the result claiming fraud.
Chamisa failed with a challenge against the poll results at the Constitutional Court.
Since then, the political atmosphere in the country has remained febrile and worsened over the past two week after the government used lethal force to quell violent demonstrations against economic hardships.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure however, said the Mtukudzi funeral furore was only a mirror image of the toxicity in the country's political environment.
"It may well be that the cause of that attitude is the toxic nature of our politics and the partisan nature of our politics," said Masunungure.
"The ruling party and the associated state security agencies interpret issues in a partisan manner; even non-political events including the funeral of a musician as well as the celebration of his life.
"The look at everything with security lenses and think of the political profit and loss of everything."
Source - Daily News
