MDC-USA supports Tsvangirai call for fresh elections, Condemns Police brutality

MDC-USA supports the statement given to the SADC heads of state by MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai on the increasingly deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe due to crisis of legitimacy following the Zanu PF rigged election of July 2013. As MDC President Tsvangirai said, Zimbabwe cannot be expected to address its myriad of problems unless and until there are free and fair elections in the country.

This demand we hold sacred and the SADC Heads of State and Government should be left in no doubt that it is the minimum Zimbabwe needs in order to right the wrongs visited this country by ZPF when they NIkuved the elections. To pretend otherwise would be as irresponsible as the SADC decision to bestow its Chairmanship on a 90 year old geriatric whose very legitimacy we the people of Zimbabwe are questioning. We expect the SADC to address President Tsvangirai's concerns with the seriousness and urgency they deserve.

We also note with grave concern the unprofessional conduct of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in dealing with the ongoing peaceful marches in demand for the 2 million jobs Zanu PF promised during the run up to the 2013 stolen elections. The marches by mainly MDC Youths and other equally impoverished Zimbabweans are peaceful, legal and in compliance with the Zimbabwe constitution. As the Movement for Democratic Change we unequivocally subscribe to the belief that all Zimbabweans regardless of their political affiliation have an enshrined constitutional right to peaceful demonstration.

What baffles the mind is the selective application of methods, strategies and tactics for maintaining law and order in Zimbabwe by the unashamedly partisan Zimbabwe Republic Police. The ZRP has been turned into a Zanu Republic Police. The incidents of police brutality on peaceful and defenseless citizens are too numerous to mention. While the Zanu police are always quick to arrest and prefer spurious charges on MDC youths, injured and bleeding from the police inflicted brutality, we are still to witness the arrest of Zanu PF Youths who burned down and desecrated the Madzibaba Shrine in Glen View and many other heinous crimes and murders committed against MDC members and supporters. These were the same church people Mugabe went groveling to, prayer stick in hand, and true to Zanu PF style used and discarded them with impunity, the charges levelled against some in that church notwithstanding . It is often the unprofessional, partisan nature of the Police that has come to characterize their modus operandi. The bludgeoning of the peaceful MDC Youth marchers is reminiscent of an illegal, autocratic and out of its depth regime whose sole purpose of clinging to power is to impoverish and subjugate the populace. This cannot be allowed to continue.

The problem with ZRP is its culture of impunity, pro zanu pf or nothing prism through which it views citizens' constitutional rights. In spite of the police previous unprovoked attack on previous peaceful demonstrations, again true to their brutal disposition, the police were at it again on Monday indiscriminately beating and arresting many MDC activists such as Ronia Bunjira, Stanley Manyenga, Bridget Nyandoro, Keith Charumbira and Linnet Chibinya. Scores more were injured and or arrested for exercising their democratic rights under the nose of the SADC leaders. It is a travesty and barbaric for the police to trample on people's rights just to impede them from challenging an illegal regime given to lies, economic destruction and erosion of whole generations' aspirations and livelihood. Only in Zimbabwe can a few rejoice at the penury of the majority.

When the free expression of political views is proscribed, prosecuted and cause to be brutally beaten, it becomes all the more easier to understand how the Madzibaba Ishmael men reacted and administered shrine justice to those crooked police officers.

The MDC is a peaceful and democratic party, and our members are understandably fed up with this state sanctioned police brutality that infringes on their rights, including peaceful gathering and expression of their rights. The zanu PF regime is not even ashamed to show case its iron handedness at a time the country is hosting a SADC summit. The MDC-USA province will never sit back and watch the ZRP's continued trampling on citizens' rights. We are calling on the SADC and the Mugabe illegal regime to urgently address this police brutality and allow peaceful unimpeded demonstrations in keeping with the country's constitution.

Meanwhile the MDC-USA is scheduled to hold their Congress in Boston, September 20. The MDC-T National Chairman, Hon. Lovemore Moyo will officiate. Campaigning for various Provincial Executive positions has started and current Chairman Mr. Den Moyo is expected to be re- elected.