Opinion / Columnist
MDC-T is not a terrorist organisation
29 Aug 2016 at 08:54hrs | Views
Reports in the Sunday Mail edition of August 28, 2016 portraying the MDC as a terrorist organisation are extremely disturbing, grossly offensive and patently untrue.
The fact of the matter is that the MDC is not training any terror squads allegedly to destabilize Zimbabwe. For the record, the MDC is a lawful and peace-loving social democratic political party that was formed in September,1999. False reports to the effect that the MDC has been training its youth wing in para-military tactics and urban violence should. therefore, be dismissed with the utter contempt and disdain that they rightfully deserve.
If anything, it is the MDC, over the years, that has been the victim of relentless and sustained State-sponsored violence, thuggery and banditry. Zimbabweans still vividly remember how President Morgan Tsvangirai and other top opposition politicians were brutally assaulted by some rogue Police officers and CIO agents in Harare in March, 2007. So thuggish and brutal was the assault that it eventually forced SADC to urgently intervene in order to resolve the Zimbabwean political crisis and impasse.
President Robert Mugabe recently said that there shall be no Arab Spring in Zimbabwe. We totally agree with him. It is not the intention of the MDC and its leader, President Morgan Tsvangirai, to violently and unconstitutionally overthrow the Zanu-PF regime. Of late, it is the Zanu-PF regime itself that has been unleashing wanton violence and brutal physical force on peaceful demonstrators. On Wednesday, August 25, 2016, the Zimbabwe Republic Police embarked on an orgy of violence in downtown Harare ; beating up and vandalizing innocent and peaceful demonstrators who had been embarking on a lawful march led by the MDC Youth Assembly.
In the process, some Zanu-PF thugs and CIO agents set alight two motor vehicles belonging to the ZRP and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. These Zanu-PF thugs also looted several city shops, including Choppies supermarket that is partly owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko.
The MDC, together with seventeen (17) other opposition political parties under the NERA platform, also embarked on a peaceful demonstration, calling for electoral reforms, on Friday, August 26, 2016. This demonstration had been sanctioned and authorized by a court order that was granted by Justice Hlekani Mwayera. In flagrant violation and disobedience of Justice Mwayera's court order, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, once again, unleashed wanton violence and thuggery on peaceful demonstrators.
Tear gas canisters were randomly thrown at peaceful demonstrators and in the process, hundreds of innocent demonstrators were injured and maimed as the ZRP indiscriminately beat up the demonstrators. This clearly proves and shows that the Zanu-PF regime has gone rogue and that they are even prepared to disregard and disobey lawful court orders. Both the Commissioner - General of the ZRP, Augustine Chihuri and Home Affairs Minister, Ignatious Chombo, should be held personally responsible for the mayhem and barbarism that was caused by the Police in Harare on Friday, August 26, 2016.These two key Zanu-PF regime operatives should also be charged and prosecuted for contempt of court. We cannot allow a situation whereby lawful orders issued by our courts of law are arrogantly and flagrantly disobeyed as what happened last Friday. Heads must certainly roll.
The MDC would like to call upon the Zanu-PF - controlled media to immediately desist from peddling lies and falsehoods that are wickedly meant to portray the MDC as a violent, terrorist organization. As the fourth estate, the media should, at all times, report facts and desist from fabricating malicious, false and defamatory stories against President Morgan Tsvangirai in particular and other opposition political leaders in general. The people of Zimbabwe are watching. One of these fine days, all these evil men and women who are violating and thrashing the people's constitutional rights shall be brought to book. That's for sure.
The fact of the matter is that the MDC is not training any terror squads allegedly to destabilize Zimbabwe. For the record, the MDC is a lawful and peace-loving social democratic political party that was formed in September,1999. False reports to the effect that the MDC has been training its youth wing in para-military tactics and urban violence should. therefore, be dismissed with the utter contempt and disdain that they rightfully deserve.
If anything, it is the MDC, over the years, that has been the victim of relentless and sustained State-sponsored violence, thuggery and banditry. Zimbabweans still vividly remember how President Morgan Tsvangirai and other top opposition politicians were brutally assaulted by some rogue Police officers and CIO agents in Harare in March, 2007. So thuggish and brutal was the assault that it eventually forced SADC to urgently intervene in order to resolve the Zimbabwean political crisis and impasse.
President Robert Mugabe recently said that there shall be no Arab Spring in Zimbabwe. We totally agree with him. It is not the intention of the MDC and its leader, President Morgan Tsvangirai, to violently and unconstitutionally overthrow the Zanu-PF regime. Of late, it is the Zanu-PF regime itself that has been unleashing wanton violence and brutal physical force on peaceful demonstrators. On Wednesday, August 25, 2016, the Zimbabwe Republic Police embarked on an orgy of violence in downtown Harare ; beating up and vandalizing innocent and peaceful demonstrators who had been embarking on a lawful march led by the MDC Youth Assembly.
The MDC, together with seventeen (17) other opposition political parties under the NERA platform, also embarked on a peaceful demonstration, calling for electoral reforms, on Friday, August 26, 2016. This demonstration had been sanctioned and authorized by a court order that was granted by Justice Hlekani Mwayera. In flagrant violation and disobedience of Justice Mwayera's court order, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, once again, unleashed wanton violence and thuggery on peaceful demonstrators.
Tear gas canisters were randomly thrown at peaceful demonstrators and in the process, hundreds of innocent demonstrators were injured and maimed as the ZRP indiscriminately beat up the demonstrators. This clearly proves and shows that the Zanu-PF regime has gone rogue and that they are even prepared to disregard and disobey lawful court orders. Both the Commissioner - General of the ZRP, Augustine Chihuri and Home Affairs Minister, Ignatious Chombo, should be held personally responsible for the mayhem and barbarism that was caused by the Police in Harare on Friday, August 26, 2016.These two key Zanu-PF regime operatives should also be charged and prosecuted for contempt of court. We cannot allow a situation whereby lawful orders issued by our courts of law are arrogantly and flagrantly disobeyed as what happened last Friday. Heads must certainly roll.
The MDC would like to call upon the Zanu-PF - controlled media to immediately desist from peddling lies and falsehoods that are wickedly meant to portray the MDC as a violent, terrorist organization. As the fourth estate, the media should, at all times, report facts and desist from fabricating malicious, false and defamatory stories against President Morgan Tsvangirai in particular and other opposition political leaders in general. The people of Zimbabwe are watching. One of these fine days, all these evil men and women who are violating and thrashing the people's constitutional rights shall be brought to book. That's for sure.
Source - MDC-T
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