Black Lives Matter

Globally Black Lives Matter, Except in Zimbabwe

The Black Lives Matter Movement has gone GLOBAL, yet
the torture of the MDC 3, is still not yet investigated.

Torture of MDC 3, still not yet investigated.

The footage of the brutal, personal, slow and painful murder of Floyd George by

"Make White Great Again,"  

cap wearing former policeman, Derek Chauvin, whilst 3 of his colleagues looked on nonchalantly, seems to have gone global.

There have been protests in over 30 cities in the United States of America alone.  There have also been solidarity protests in  London, Cardiff, Berlin, Milan, Glasgow, Bristol, Denmark and Canada just to name a few countries and cities, with likely more protests planned.

Given the number of world wide protests, following the killing of Floyd George, the right to Freedom of Expression as stated in the United Nations Charter, signed and ratified by the counties above where the protests are taking place, seems to be standing tall in the context of the right to protest.  Further, the Freedom of Expression of MDC Alliance Zimbabweans, according to the Zimbabwean Constitution, is being strangled to death.

We at Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO) are extremely concerned that the Freedom of Expression of Zimbabweans is being violently stifled by the Government of Emerson Mnangagwa. 

Even though there are active lockdowns in many of the countries and cities mentioned above, which have a combined population of over 850 million in total.  Compared to Zimbabwe, there has not been even one mention or accusation of an abduction or Torture of Activists by any of the states above.

There has not even been a single member of parliament arrested or questioned by the police for protesting.  There has not even been one person shot and wounded or killed during the protests.  Yet in Zimbabwe, the Government, including the courts, make fun out of the persecuted by making them wear prison uniforms whilst they are recovering in Hospital.  In Zimbabwe the government behaves as if black lives do not matter.

When the treatment of those involved in the Global Mass Protest (against the killing of Floyd George) in the West is further compared to the treatment of the MDC 3 and others in Zimbabwe, who numbered less than 500 and were involved in a simple flash protest; the actions of Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF), their state proxies Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the so called Third Force in Zimbabwe, it makes the ZANU PF look utterly useless at being democratic and at following the Conventions and Covenants they signed at the United Nations.

This assertion (of ZANU PF not keeping to their Covenants) is given even more credence, by the fact that Zimbabwe has less than 18 million people, compared to the combined population of the aforementioned countries.  The sheer and utter uselessness of ZANU PF is laid bare.

Further, the reluctance of ZANU PF and their proxies to investigate the abduction, torture, rape and sexual assault of the MDC 3 speaks volumes.  Especially when one of those treated in such a degrading, painful, inciting and insulting way is an actual sitting Member of Zimbabwe Parliament (MP).

Therefore the treatment of the activists and especially the MP, may be deemed as an actual act of terrorism by the same state forces and this actually threatens integrity of Zimbabwe as a country.

Which actually brings the whole debacle, solved or unsolved, to one conclusion.  There is a real and actual constitutional crisis in Zimbabwe, and it needs the people to solve it.

 "At the end of the day, the country, does belong to the people and not the government."

As such, the promises made by the MDC Alliance youth leaders, to protest, in response to the actions of ZANU PF, its information ministry, its ZRP and its third force are clear and understandable.  The reasons why the MDC Youth have made the promises to protest are noble.

For now, ZHRO can only wish you (MDC Alliance Youth) well and encourage you to be bold, be brave and exercise your God given rights.  ZHRO will soon join you, by returning to have a weekly peaceful Vigil protest every Wednesday, at 11am, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, at 429, The Strand, London.  Uniting to have a Peaceful, Massive, Mass Protest is arguably the only option left.  This will hopefully show ZANU PF, ZRP and their third force that yes, Black lives should matter, especially in Zimbabwe.

Shooting unarmed civilians does not make you a good and strong leader, it weakens you.  Tormenting the citizens does not make them fear you, it makes them hate you.

By Thabo Makayana