News / National
CIOs persecute Sikhala, Ngarivhume
05 Aug 2021 at 07:19hrs | Views
LEADERS of the #31July Movement leaders, Transform Zimbabwe president Jacob Ngarivhume and MDC Alliance Vice Chairman Job Sikhaka have been receiving threats from suspected state security agents using South African mobile numbers, warning them against organising any protest, NewZimbabwe.com reported.
The two spent over a month in remand prison last year following their arrest in August on allegations of promoting public violence by encouraging "anti-government protests."
They are part of over a dozen human rights and political activists who went into hiding after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) posted them on its Most Wanted list.
The threats come at a time the state believes they were plotting further mass street protests.
Ngarivhume said in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday m their persecution has extended beyond attempts to jail them to constant threats of violence deterring them from any anti-government activities.
"I am now receiving threats on a daily basis from state security agents who are simply against citizens enjoying their basic rights," Ngarivhume said.
"They do not want people to express themselves, they do not want people to criticise (President) Emmerson Mnangagwa, they do not want people to speak against corruption because that is how they survive and are too eager to abuse those that are brave enough to do that," he charged.
In some of the threatening messages sent to him, Ngarivhume said he was warned against planning similar protests as those foiled by the state last year.
"The threats I have been receiving are mainly to do with demonstrations being planned but all that has not been shared in the public. They thought we had set 31 July as the date for demonstrations but that is still to be agreed. 31 July was never the day as we are yet to finish consultations with stakeholders. It will not deter us however, we expect this and have always expected it," he said.
Added Ngarivhume: "To make it even more difficult for us to detect who they are, they are using South African numbers which our team has found to no longer be in use in South Africa."
Mnangagwa has been accused of using state state security institutions and the judiciary to silence dissenting voices.
Their movement was started as an apolitical platform for Zimbabweans to air grievances against corruption, poor management of the economy and Zimbabwe's deteriorating human rights record under a supposed New Dispensation.
The two spent over a month in remand prison last year following their arrest in August on allegations of promoting public violence by encouraging "anti-government protests."
They are part of over a dozen human rights and political activists who went into hiding after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) posted them on its Most Wanted list.
The threats come at a time the state believes they were plotting further mass street protests.
Ngarivhume said in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday m their persecution has extended beyond attempts to jail them to constant threats of violence deterring them from any anti-government activities.
"I am now receiving threats on a daily basis from state security agents who are simply against citizens enjoying their basic rights," Ngarivhume said.
"They do not want people to express themselves, they do not want people to criticise (President) Emmerson Mnangagwa, they do not want people to speak against corruption because that is how they survive and are too eager to abuse those that are brave enough to do that," he charged.
In some of the threatening messages sent to him, Ngarivhume said he was warned against planning similar protests as those foiled by the state last year.
"The threats I have been receiving are mainly to do with demonstrations being planned but all that has not been shared in the public. They thought we had set 31 July as the date for demonstrations but that is still to be agreed. 31 July was never the day as we are yet to finish consultations with stakeholders. It will not deter us however, we expect this and have always expected it," he said.
Added Ngarivhume: "To make it even more difficult for us to detect who they are, they are using South African numbers which our team has found to no longer be in use in South Africa."
Mnangagwa has been accused of using state state security institutions and the judiciary to silence dissenting voices.
Their movement was started as an apolitical platform for Zimbabweans to air grievances against corruption, poor management of the economy and Zimbabwe's deteriorating human rights record under a supposed New Dispensation.
Source - newzimbabwe
