By Costa Nkomo
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has once again pleaded with citizens to mantain peace as the country prepares to host the SADC Summit.
“I take this opportunity to thank all Zimbabweans for maintaining a peaceful environment across the length and breadth of our Motherland. Our brand remains that of a progressive and loving people who are hospitable not only to their kith and kin but to all persons created in the image of the Lord Almighty,” Mnangagwa said at the National Heroes Acre today during the National Heroes Day commemorations.
He added: “Let us all continue to make our visitors feel at home away from home, that we are one with them, and that they shall always be free to visit, whether on business or on private affairs.
However, the opposition dismissed the plea as hollow citing the escalation of human rights violations which have overshadowed Mnangagwa’s upcoming leadership role within the regional bloc.
“The peace, he Mnangagwa is referring to does not exist in Zimbabwe. It is a facade. He cannot speak about peace in Zimbabwe after locking up more than 100 innocent people in prison who committed no crime. We had activists who were tortured and are nursing injuries in prison,” said Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson, Promise Mkhwananzi.
Political analyst and researcher, Lazarus Sauti, said while it is the constitutional right of the opposition to protest, they must be done peacefully.
“The opposition, as an alternative voice to the state, should demand transparency, good governance, and transparency from the ruling party. Opposition groupings should exploit available options to lodge their concerns in a peaceful manner.”
