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Lumumba urges Zimbabwe political leaders to save 'this great country'
18 Aug 2019 at 14:13hrs | Views
RENOWNED Kenyan political analyst, Professor Patrick Lumumba has urged Zimbabwe political leaders to to engage each other and save "this great country."
Lumumba was speaking to NewZimbabwe.com in Victoria Falls at a recent Sadc Lawyers Association, just a few days before anti-riot police savaged horded of MDC supports who defied a police ban on a Friday demonstration the party had organised to protest rising poverty levels in the country.
Lumumba said all things being equal, all politicians in Zimbabwe should meet and say, "I am not going to think of Zanu-PF or MDC, but I think of making the economy revived and engage in a gear of ensuring Zimbabwe is alive."
He urged political leaders in the country to engage each other and save "this great country".
The outspoken lawyer and political commentator said organs of the State must not be used to undermine people's freedoms.
"When it becomes necessary to deploy these forces, the force that is used must be commensurate to the threat that is in place or posed. We must not allow organs of the State to be used to undermine people's freedom," said Prof Lumumba.
He said the people's freedoms must be protected and those who are enjoying those freedoms must also realise that there are responsibilities to carry.
"Therefore, it is inexcusable to use excessive force in order to protect individual interests," he said.
Lumumba said external forces sometimes love it when African countries are in conflict and it is incumbent upon Africans to ensure that they resolve their conflicts in a manner that does not involve external forces.
Lumumba was speaking to NewZimbabwe.com in Victoria Falls at a recent Sadc Lawyers Association, just a few days before anti-riot police savaged horded of MDC supports who defied a police ban on a Friday demonstration the party had organised to protest rising poverty levels in the country.
Lumumba said all things being equal, all politicians in Zimbabwe should meet and say, "I am not going to think of Zanu-PF or MDC, but I think of making the economy revived and engage in a gear of ensuring Zimbabwe is alive."
He urged political leaders in the country to engage each other and save "this great country".
The outspoken lawyer and political commentator said organs of the State must not be used to undermine people's freedoms.
"When it becomes necessary to deploy these forces, the force that is used must be commensurate to the threat that is in place or posed. We must not allow organs of the State to be used to undermine people's freedom," said Prof Lumumba.
He said the people's freedoms must be protected and those who are enjoying those freedoms must also realise that there are responsibilities to carry.
"Therefore, it is inexcusable to use excessive force in order to protect individual interests," he said.
Lumumba said external forces sometimes love it when African countries are in conflict and it is incumbent upon Africans to ensure that they resolve their conflicts in a manner that does not involve external forces.
Source - newzimbabwe
