'Pile pressure on Mugabe,' says Tsvangirai

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has called on Zimbabweans to escalate protests against President Robert Mugabe's government, saying "the struggle for change is approaching its end".

Addressing victims of police brutality yesterday, Tsvangirai said with the current wave of demonstrations, 92-year-old Mugabe will soon surrender.

"I can tell you one thing, the struggle for change in this country is coming to an end, and there is no way this regime can continue to brutalise and suppress people with impunity," the long-time Mugabe rival said.

"We must remain committed, I want to assure you that we will be there for you this is just the beginning of the end let's be courageous and let's remain focused. I want to assure you that chisingaperi chinoshura (everything comes to an end)," he said.

"…we need to move forward," he urged, adding that the "people of Zimbabwe must rise up and demand what belongs to them".

"The current crisis cannot just disappear. It is the crisis that people will always tell a story that when things went bad, there were women and men who stood up against dictatorship."

"I am reminded of the Syrian experience, where you witness on daily basis, the government that brutalises and bombs its own people — obviously, for the interest beyond that nation," Tsvangirai said.

"For us, the party will do anything in its power and capacity to respond to these atrocities."

The former prime minister in the inclusive government said the police brutality exposes the oppressive side of the regime.

"… this is the nature of the beast, that's what dictatorship is all about," he said.

"At this stage of our struggle, the testimonies nearly illustrate the endurance that the people of Zimbabwe have made. There are so many testimonies over the past 17 years, some even very tragic to the extent of people losing their lives and property."

Tsvangirai said Mugabe's government does not want to listen to the long-suffering Zimbabweans, but only wants to remain in power.

"It's shocking how anyone can be beaten for expressing his or her right, how can anyone be charged because of demonstrating, you have not taken up arms, you have not been violent but what you get from the State, which is so obsessed about the retention of power, is a regime which will go all out to try to intimidate and beat people into submission," he said.

Tsvangirai also accused State security agents of going around the country intimidating his MDC party supporters.

Some of the victims who told their ordeals at the hands of police include MDC parliamentarians, Fani Munengami and Ronia Bunjira.

"We were bundled into a huge police truck with two other women.

"I was beaten the whole day. What surprised me was that the police were drinking beer while they were said to be on duty.

"After beating us, they left us at Glen View Police Station," Munengami said.