News / National
Magaya urge protestors to keep the momentum
05 Jul 2016 at 10:35hrs | Views
Keep the momentum, churches urge protesters
Outspoken preacher Ancelimo Magaya has urged Zimbabweans protesting against President Robert Mugabe's policies to "keep up the momentum" so as to force the nonagenarian to relinquish power.
Commenting on the ongoing wave of protests sweeping across the country the clergyman, who is the director of Zimbabwe Divine Destiny (ZDD), an association of several churches that has been at the forefront of criticising Mugabe's 36-year reign told the Daily News yesterday that Zimbabweans now want the 92-year-old to relinquish power.
Magaya called for a transitional authority to run the country's affairs until fresh elections are held accusing the nonagenarian of failing the nation.
"This is the clearest indication that you cannot suppress people for ever because there will certainly come a time when people are left with limited options and we are saying let's mount up these demonstrations and keep the momentum as long as we do not become violent, " Magaya said.
This comes as the country has been hit by an upsurge of demonstrations aimed at government as citizens challenge Mugabe's policies including the recent ban on basic goods imports.
Yesterday, kombi operators fought running battles with the police who they accuse of being a menace on the country's roads.
On the other hand, cross border traders last Friday forced the temporary closure of Beitbridge Border Post as they protested against the new import regulations.
Magaya urged citizens throughout the country to continue piling pressure to force authorities to relinquish power.
He said unless government addresses issues of unemployment, cash shortages, police brutality, among a litany of other concerns the chaos will only escalate "with disastrous consequences".
"There is need for government to understand the real cause of this. Police are abusing people on the roads and we have had enough so we urge government to listen and engage national stakeholders to establish a transitional authority".
The ZDD leader who has been working on uniting opposition political parties in the country was recently questioned by police after he had submitted a letter notifying them of an all-people convention at City Sports Centre.
The preacher has also been vocal in demanding that the authorities provide information on the whereabouts of missing human rights activist Itai Dzamara.
In recent statements, Magaya has lamented the way churches and civil society had taken a back seat while Zimbabwe continued to burn.
He said it was important for the Church to rise and publicly and openly denounce injustices and irregularities that were happening in the country as civil society has lost its mandate while castigating civil society for being swamped by intra-organisation squabbles.
Outspoken preacher Ancelimo Magaya has urged Zimbabweans protesting against President Robert Mugabe's policies to "keep up the momentum" so as to force the nonagenarian to relinquish power.
Commenting on the ongoing wave of protests sweeping across the country the clergyman, who is the director of Zimbabwe Divine Destiny (ZDD), an association of several churches that has been at the forefront of criticising Mugabe's 36-year reign told the Daily News yesterday that Zimbabweans now want the 92-year-old to relinquish power.
Magaya called for a transitional authority to run the country's affairs until fresh elections are held accusing the nonagenarian of failing the nation.
"This is the clearest indication that you cannot suppress people for ever because there will certainly come a time when people are left with limited options and we are saying let's mount up these demonstrations and keep the momentum as long as we do not become violent, " Magaya said.
This comes as the country has been hit by an upsurge of demonstrations aimed at government as citizens challenge Mugabe's policies including the recent ban on basic goods imports.
Yesterday, kombi operators fought running battles with the police who they accuse of being a menace on the country's roads.
On the other hand, cross border traders last Friday forced the temporary closure of Beitbridge Border Post as they protested against the new import regulations.
He said unless government addresses issues of unemployment, cash shortages, police brutality, among a litany of other concerns the chaos will only escalate "with disastrous consequences".
"There is need for government to understand the real cause of this. Police are abusing people on the roads and we have had enough so we urge government to listen and engage national stakeholders to establish a transitional authority".
The ZDD leader who has been working on uniting opposition political parties in the country was recently questioned by police after he had submitted a letter notifying them of an all-people convention at City Sports Centre.
The preacher has also been vocal in demanding that the authorities provide information on the whereabouts of missing human rights activist Itai Dzamara.
In recent statements, Magaya has lamented the way churches and civil society had taken a back seat while Zimbabwe continued to burn.
He said it was important for the Church to rise and publicly and openly denounce injustices and irregularities that were happening in the country as civil society has lost its mandate while castigating civil society for being swamped by intra-organisation squabbles.
Source - online
