ZwNews Chief Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s parliament opened today, with most parliamentarians from the Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance, on the run from victimisation at the hands of state agents, while others have been placed on remand on what many believe to be trumped up allegations.
Following the protests that recently rocked the country, the country’s security forces have been unleashed to go after opposition party leaders and Members of Parliament (MPs) for allegedly have had masterminded the chaos. The opposition party which largely remained silent during the protests is denying the accusations, saying the stay-away turned violent protests were called for by the labour union.
As it stands, several MDC-Alliance MPs have either been arrested, or are on the run as they are being hunted down by the police and the army.
Some of the MPs who have either been arrested or are forced into hiding include, Rusty Markham, Amos Chibaya, Tabitha Khumalo, as well as a number of its executive leadership.
However, as if that was not enough, Mnangagwa’s administration is alleged to have hatched a plan to wipe out members of the opposition parties in local government, so as to weaken the party by the time the next election in 2023 would be due.
In that case, in Bulawayo, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is currently investigating several opposition councillors on allegations of corruption, a move that is believed to be a directive from Mnangagwa in order to weaken the opposition.
ZACC commissioner Goodson Nguni recently told the state-run weekly, ( The Sunday Mail) that they were indeed investigating several MDC councillors for corruption.
But MDC-Alliance secretary for local governance Sisel Zwizwai says some of these councillors were once investigated under the directive from former local government ministers Saviour Kasukuwere and Ignatius Chombo, but were found to innocent, he believes the current investigations are politically motivated.
He says while corruption should never be condoned; if the anti-gravity body is severe it should also cast its nets wider and investigate ZANU PF big wigs who are known to be corrupt.
Be that as it may, Mnangagwa since coming to power, has failed to deal with corruption among his cronies, except those perceived to be political enemies, such as members of the Generation 40, who opposed his ascendancy to the helm.
Meanwhile, the leader of South Africa’s main opposition party Mmusi Maimane has added his weight in pushing Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa to find a lasting solution to the country’s current challenges.
Maimane has lambasted both Mnangagwa for turning a dictator, while at same time reprimanding South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his silent diplomacy and turning a blind eye on Mnangagwa’s brutality.
He says it is disheartening that Zimbabwe is now a military state, with most of its citizens including parliamentarians fleeing into exile, at the hands of state brutality.
Maimane posted a picture of himself with exiled MDC officials. In a twit, he asked South Africa’s leadership to put Mnangagwa to task over human rights abuse;
“Our brothers from Zimbabwe. Some MP’s who are now exiled from their country, fleeing from a military state. We must have a foreign policy based on Human rights and I call upon the SA gov to intervene. To stand with citizens both in Zim and in Venezuela & to vote against Maduro,” said Maimane.
