MDC Reading protest and fundraiser

MDC Reading has just held its first demonstration since the end of the National Congress held in Zimbabwe, where the young and vibrant leader Nelson Chamisa was democratically elected as its President.  

The preparations for the Reading demonstrations were promised to the members by the Reading MDC Leadership.  This was following the politically motivated brutal crackdown, Command style arrests and Command Miscarriages of Justice dispensed against amongst others MDC members, Mr Last Maengahama and Mr Tungamira Madzokera, in Zimbabwe by ZANU-PF and its proxies, which now seem to explicitly include huge parts of the Zimbabwe Judiciary, who seem more interested in dispensing Law rather than propagating Justice.

After meeting at Reading train station, they marched around Reading town centre, stopped briefly at the City Council offices, said some speeches and then marched on to their designated meeting place for a fundraising meeting in support of the Political and democratic activist Prisoners, who have been jailed and imprisoned for a total of more than 40 years in Zimbabwe at the behest of ZANU-PF and its proxies.

The leadership tried to end the event with speeches which should have resulted in the dispersal of the congregation, however, this was not the case.

The passion and fire in the MDC youth who really look and actually are much, much, younger than the 40, 50 and 60 year old ZANU-PF "supposed," youth leaders was clear for all to see as it was beamed live to the people in Zimbabwe and around the world, through the Facebook portal for Zimeye media by Vuka Vuka Zimbabwe.

Miss Thokozile Michele Usuwana, MDC South West District Youth Chair, Portsmouth Branch, sporting a trendy MDC outfit said, "There shouldn't be anything called a political prisoner! Why should I be imprisoned just because of my political views? Just because of my own opinion. They (ZANU-PF) have got their own biased crazy opinions, but no one is putting them in prison, so why should I, with a voice, just as loud as them but more right, be put in prison?" She asked.

One of the attendees called Tatenda said, "We are tired of you E. D. Mnangagwa, you have no defence any more. Zimbabwe hasn't changed. We are still experiencing what Mugabe was enforcing."

Mrs Sarah Usuwana, one of the MDC elders added her voice and wise words by saying, "We are appealing to all the MDC members to come and join us. We want all the political prisoners to be freed today.  You are a fraud Mnangagwa. We have had enough."

Josephine Jombe, Secretary for MDC Reading said, "Our country is now like a pigsty. We used to be proud of our country but now even if you say you come from Zimbabwe, people look at us like we are just stupid. Look at how people are so displaced. This young girl (Farai Gumbonzanda's picture was held in Josephines hand), what has she done to deserve to stay in prison?" She said she was addressing E. D. Mnangagwa, Chiwenga and other ZANU-PF proxies.

Reading Branch member and Vice Secretary for MDC Alliance South West District, Margaret Chisadza Madamombe, gave a resoundingly passionate speech in which she said, "ZANU-PF must go, we want them to release all the political prisoners, we want them out of jail, they haven't done anything wrong, they are so innocent. They are jailed just because they are in the opposition party MDC."

"ZANU-PF is failing the country. The economy is so bad.  People are traveling to South Africa to earn a living whilst we have our country which is so beautiful.  It is ruined by the ZANU-PF Regime.  We want them to leave and give young people like Chamisa the chance to rule the country."

"We are voicing like this for the people in Zimbabwe who can not do this for themselves, because once they voice for themselves, they are taken to prison.  They are taking them to jail. They are jailed for life, or for 20 years. What for? That's why we come here to cry for those who can't cry, because in Zimbabwe people they don't have freedom, they don't have human rights. Anyone who opens their mouth disappears. We want them (ZANU-PF) to stop that."

Shortly after that, the crowed started singing anti Mnangagwa songs such as, "Take back your scarf, things are bad" and "The big boys are coming," (approximate translation) was sung by some at the MDC protest fundraiser with some of the chanting led by Vuka Vuka. More to follow in the coming days.