It's now or never for Zimbabwe

WE have called for a week of protests against the unjust political detention of legislators Job Sikhala (Zengeza West), Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North) and 15 others who are languishing at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for over two months now.

Most of them were, in fact, victims of brutal Zanu-PF violence against known leaders and activists of Citizens Coalition for Change in Chitungwiza and Nyatsime following the murder of Moreblessing Ali by known Zanu-PF leaders.

I have visited most of them in prison and have listened to their harrowing stories.

Their homes were destroyed by fire, property burnt and their families were left homeless.

The police, instead, came and arrested them and now they are locked up.

There is clear co-ordination here. Zanu-PF provokes and beats up mourners, it escalates by burning down homes, and as opposition activists and leaders flee, the police step in.

They arrest the victims and their leaders, in this case, Sikhala and Sithole.

The police arrest and then begin their investigations while the victims are locked up.

The police hand them over to a compromised judicial system, which takes orders from the State. They are denied bail and spend months in prison.

Once you are in the hands of the corrupt magistrates and other judicial officials, the wheels of justice turn slowly.

The Constitution is clear, bail is a constitutional right. But alas, in Zimbabwe, it is not if you are a member of the opposition.

I have gone through that as an opposition leader, I am still in the courts and have learnt to live without my passport, reporting to the police once every week and appearing in court every fortnight for the last two years.

Meanwhile, as Sikhala, Sithole and 15 others are languishing in detention, a Zanu-PF official loots millions of United States dollars in some Cotton Company of Zimbabwe scam .

He is arrested, spends one night in prison and the following day is granted bail. End of story!

Justice Mayor Wadyajena is freed. You ask why? They tell you bail is a constitutional right.

Fellow citizens, this is where we need to step in and bring order. We need to ask ourselves what will happen to this country if we don't rise up and say enough is enough.

I am not calling for violence, no, not at all. What I am calling for is a citizens' response to the complete disregard of the Constitution by the ruling elite.

We have a duty to speak out, act and say this is wrong. This will be done in the confines of the law and the provisions of the supreme law of the land.

Above all, this clarion call for action is peaceful and the aim is to make sure that we build a better nation that respects citizens' rights.

If we choose to ignore this moment, we are killing the future. Make no mistake, if a revolution does not stand with its persecuted, it won't win.

If an army does not fight to protect the injured and maimed during battles, it won't win a single war.

It is our duty to stand up and call the judiciary to order, the police to order and indeed the corrupt ruling elite to order.

Let me repeat, this is not a call to violent behaviour, but a call to peaceful action.

Let us set our differences aside, don't see yourself too big as CCC, don't see yourself too powerful as Zanu-PF, let's just come together as citizens to say something is not right here. Let's correct it together.

Whoever you are, whoever you support, you need an impartial and fair judicial system, a respectful police services system, and an Executive that respects the separation of powers.

These are the ideals our fathers went to war for and were prepared to die for.

I thank you, God bless you all and God bless Zimbabwe