Zimbabwe: Khumalo and six others arrested over some leaflets!

Thabitha Khumalo, National Chairperson of the Movement for Democratic Change – Alliance (MDC-A) and six other members of the party was today, arraigned, arrested and detained in Bulawayo. She was arrested as the MDC-A was scheduled to hold a freedom march in Bulawayo. However, she was instead incepted by the authorities.

Where she and the six others was charged with giving out leaflets of “Free Zimbabwe Campaign” on the 17^th August 2019. In these leaflets, the state also found out that it accused, that the July 2018 elections were stolen, which the state claims is false.

This is the sort of state, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) is up too. Using the state, the courts and the authorities to silence the opposition. Stop them from demonstrating and even using their civil liberties. This is what the state does.

Khumalo is now charged with something many claims, something that many people does, because of how the July 2018 elections was done. It is not just a mockery of the supposed legitimate government, but questioning the way the second republic was ushered in. From the November 2017 coup d’etat to the July 2018 polls.

MDC-A and its Presidential Candidate Chamisa have questioned this all along, which is natural, as the state has done whatever it can to muffle with any dissident. This is not a new tactic, but an old one, that the ZANU-PF learned from the Rhodesian governments too.

We are now seeing open bazaar oppression from the ZANU-PF, where the opposition is fair-game. They can be taken for anything or charged over nothing, which happens to be simple uttered words or leaflets. While the government can come with threats and warnings with no consequence. This is the state of affairs and the leadership doesn’t care.

It isn’t a new dispensation, just a new head of state, who likes to be a relic, a head of oppression and silencing his enemies. Peace.

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Zimbabwe: Royal Crown Council – Press Statement on the Jailing of Chief Ndiweni (17.08.2019)

Zimbabwe: The citizens came in peace, but the state came to violate that!

In Harare today, the brutal crackdown on the planned and scheduled Free Zimbabwe Marches, which was for some reason unacceptable, where the state couldn’t ensure security or enough police officers to oversee the event.

However, the same authorities could with ease use their batons, their force and disperse the crowds of Harare. They had no intention of letting the public have a voice, walk with their feet together and clearly that violates the calm of the authorities.

We have seen today, the brute force, the anticipated fear-mongering, where the authorities uses their shields, their tear-gas and the extended violence against unarmed civilians. Who even sat down in-front of the armed officers. Still, they had to run towards them and beat them down. This is the sort of state, that the ZANU-PF profess too.

Making civil disobedience illegal, industrial action illegal and any sort of act of dismay towards them is clearly a violation of codes of conduct. Just a day after the horrific MOPO act, who will make it super-hard and ensure that the marches, the demonstrations and everything similar become near impossible. Because, the state got to cancel the rights of its citizens to live calm and in peace.

That is a fake peace, a peace based on fear, intimidation and lack of liberty. That is what the ZANU-PF is offering its citizens. This isn’t liberating, freedom nor justice, just a mere few gets all the perks, all the joys of the state, while the rest will suffer; if they dare to question the state.

That is the sign of today. This is what the state does, speaks of its own as enemies, because they are not accepting the disarray and the destructiveness of the state apparatus. Still, they are hurt and arrested, 100s of people was arrested today, scores of people and hurt. Who knows the final tally, but what is important is what the state says with its actions.

The citizens can come in peace, they can walk, but not march together. If they assemble, than expect trouble from the core government security organizations. They will haunt you down and will assess your damage. Because, they will claim you come with violence, with the will of destruction and with the intent of causing harm.

Instead, they do it all to you. They uses the brutal force, the ability to be armed and legally have the violence monopoly to settle the score, they will take you and you will get violated. That is who they are and what they do.

The Zimbabwe Republican Police cannot be proud, they are there to defend liberty and justice for the public, instead they are an armed mob attacking unarmed civilians. They are supposed to shield the unarmed civilians from criminal gangs, but the gang is the police. This is the state of affairs. That is who ZANU-PF is, which is sad.

But they had decided this result days ago, they had made the propaganda for this days ago. Even if the clips of the utter disgraceful attempts to silence humanity gets released world-wide. They will still claim there was some terrorists, some infiltrated hoodlums of some sort to create anarchy in the CBD of Harare. Alas, that was never the case, just citizens caring about their republic. Which is owned by someone else and represented by someone else, who doesn’t mind to violate all of their rights. As long as they get to rule and own it all. The public is supposed to be silent and cheer it on. Peace.

Zimbabwe: 2nd National Citizens’ Convention Postponed (15.08.2019)

Opinion: Lord have mercy, Zanu-PF is afraid of the will of the people…

Well, the ones thinking it would get better Post-Mugabe was terrible wrong. The henchmen, the crocodile and his cadres are busy exposing the rot within the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). You don’t even need to shed lights to see it, it is out in the open and the stage is already set for the show.

The continues abductions, the torture, the arbirtrary arrests, the phony charges on dissidents and the warnings of public rallies/demonstrations are damaging the peace. Really, shows that the New Dispensations is more of the same. It could been Mugabe speaking, hell, it could have been his wife and the whole G-40. Standing on the barricades and saying his holiness anointed Mugabe to rule forever and ever. And nobody should stand in the way of his highness.

However, now its not Mugabe, now its his former deputy and former henchman Mnangagwa running the brigades, together with the military men like Gen. Chiwenga. They are not having it, if the public is speaking out or trying to demonstrate against them. They we’re allowed to topple a constitutional government, but the public themselves are not allowed. Because, they are not knowing what they are doing, that is only for the Generals to decide.

Mnangagwa and the ZANU-PF has no issues, coming with warnings, coming with harsher laws to settle the score. They have no issues to push the boundaries, even make laws that is sealing the constitutional rights of the citizens, as long as they get to stay in power. Even if the prices are running rapid, Unions are claiming their members cannot afford the basics, civil servants claim the stocks of goods is empty, the lack of maintenance and investment in infrastructure also bites.

The Lacoste, the running elite has no trouble getting expensive cars, renting private-jets and misusing government funds on Command Agriculture without any proof of the spending nor the results. While the inflations running like crazy, the financial system is crashing and the trust in the government is a all time low. The propaganda and the machinery behind the President cannot fix the issues at hand. Because, they are busy eating, but not contemplating solutions for the citizens.

That is why, instead of finding reasonable grounds for tomorrows demonstrations, they are trying to bar it from happening. Instead of listening to the demands or the needs of the public, they want to keep them all hostage to current dire situation. As millions are struggling to get by, the citizens are seeing their money losing value and the salaries not adding up. While the ZANU-PF is busy visiting Davos and walking around with their scarfs. Like the scarf really make a difference. It is just a token of the mismanagement.

Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF, just showing that they rather rewind the troubled past, to control by any means, and try to deflect everything. Not that its working. The lack of trust, the lack of care and the current siege against dissidents, really shows the true heart of the system. That they don’t care about the citizens, as long as they are eating. Which is a sad state of affairs.

The new dispensations is only revised old dispensation with a few new measures, even new laws ensuring the inevitable, that the freedom, liberty and pursuit of justice will be put on hold. As long as the ZANU-PF get the grip of power. Because, they cannot accept the MDC or anyone questioning their authority. Peace.

Zimbabwe: Government – Press Release (15.08.2019)

Zimbabwe Republic Police Observation on intended demonstrations by the MDC Alliance and its partner Organizations (15.08.2019)

Zimbabwe: ZHDA letter to Health Service Board – “Re: Notification of Countrywide Incapacitation of Medical Doctors” (14.08.2019)

Zimbabwe: APA’s Statement on Heroes Day (11.08.2019)

Zimbabwe: The MOPO Act to limit demonstrations and give more power to the Police!

Yesterday, there was reports that the marathon sessions in Parliament, which was summoned by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa was for pushing for several new laws. One of these is the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPO Act), which is clearly made to ensure less demonstrations, less activity of the industrial actions of the Unions and even activists in general.

Veritas did in their Bill Watch Number 24, show parts of the Constitutional rights of the Citizens. Which will be compromised by the MOPO Act.

Veritas stated this: “ Section 58(1) guarantees to everyone the freedoms of assembly and association:

“Every person has the right to freedom of assembly and association, and the right not to assemble or associate with others.”

Section 59, more specifically, gives a right to demonstrate:

“Every person has the right to demonstrate and to present petitions, but these rights must be exercised peacefully.” (Veritas – ‘The Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill : Is it Constitutional?’ 02.05.2019).

When seeing that, you know that the Rights are supposed to upheld by the state and the authorities, however, the state will in regard of the new act. Certainly, stop the public from having a right assemble or demonstrate. The new dispensation is clearly old wine in new skins. Since, it is more oppressive behaviour from the ZANU-PF. They are afraid of the voice of the people, therefore, they have to make laws, that outlaws more of the supposed freedoms they are supposed to have.

In MOPO Act Part II Section 5 (1) any organization has to appoint one man in-charge of the demonstration and also a deputy. These has to negotiate and consult with the authorities, the local police to get allowed to demonstrate. As long as they not breaching the peace.

In Section 7 (1) the organizers have to write and notify the authorities within 7 days ahead for a demonstration, where it will happen and at what time. Also, the organizers have to notify the authorities 5 days ahead of a public meeting too.

To continue the control of the state, Section 7 (2):

“The convening notice shall contain at least the following information—

(a) the name, address and telephone or cellphone and electronic mail numbers,

if any, of the convener and his or her deputy;

(b) the name of the organisation on whose behalf the gathering is convened

or, if it is not so convened, a statement that it is convened by the convener;

(c) the purpose of the gathering;

(d) the time, duration and date of the gathering;

(e) the place where the gathering is to be held;

(f) the anticipated number of participants” (MOPO Act, 2019).

Let’s be clear about this, for any organization, any political party or any CSO to know all of this in advance is hard. That they can know the time, ask for a favourable route in any town, city or municipality is fine. But, to ask and know the anticipated participants, that’s really too much to ask for. Since, the state cannot even know how the inflation is running, how can they anticipate the amount of people showing up to a public meeting, rally and a demonstration.

The state also limits the rights of gatherings/demonstrations at public spaces, as done in Section 10:

“Gatherings in vicinity of Parliament, courts and protected places

(1) Subject to subsection (2), all gatherings within a radius of—

(a) twenty metres of the vicinity of the Parliament;

(b) one hundred metres of the vicinity of the Supreme Court, the High Court, a Magistrates Court or any other court;

(c) one hundred metres of any protected place or area declared as such in terms of the Protected Areas and Places Act [Chapter 11:12]; are prohibited” (MOPO Act, 2019).

They are clearly afraid of the previous years of demonstrations for political prisoners at the Rotten Row and elsewhere. As the state has used ways of arresting opposition activists and leaders. Since that is happening, the state now want them to be further away to not disturb the peace.

What is really a police state part of this act. Isn’t really about the limitations on the demonstrations, public gatherings or the public meetings. However, the extensions of the opportunity for police search is that. There is no-one that cannot be stopped or checked by the police. That is initiating a Police state, whether you like it or not.

As it is stated in the Section 16:

“Powers of stopping and searching

(1) A police officer may stop and, without warrant—

(a) search any person, vehicle or vessel entering or leaving Zimbabwe and

any person in or upon such vehicle or vessel; and

(b) seize any thing;

in circumstances where there are reasonable grounds for believing that the search or

seizure is necessary in the interests of public safety, public order or public health or

for the prevention, investigation or detection of a criminal offence.” (MOPO Act, 2019).

This is really a proof of what their aim is, to give more power to the local police. They can now accept any public gatherings or say that an organizer didn’t follow the needed instructions before they were notified. If not, they didn’t deliver the needed estimates or ensure that the roads for demonstrations to be safe enough. They can clearly do this and this laws make this possible, because of the rate of information and time. Shows, that sudden will to demonstrate isn’t allowed. Than, your automatically breaching the peace, by doing your civic duty and what is constitutional right actually.

Now, as people are crossing, driving or entering Zimbabwe, the Police can now also stop you without warrants. Your a suspect until your proven guilty. The state can search any person and their belongings without any court order. That is a police state. The Zanu-PF have given all power to the Police force, by entering the Republic.

This is clearly not a joke, this an act the President wanted to enact and got fixed during this week. Surely, he got his will. He given more power to his authorities and less to his citizens. This is the new dispensation. Peace.