Source: Mnangagwa Tainted By Gukurahundi Protest Arrests | ZimEye
The National Ecumenical Forum for Dialogue, Justice and Peace unreservedly joins other progressive forces in condemning the arbitrary arrest and unconstitutional detention of the eight youths who were demonstrating over the state president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s involvement during the Gukurahundi “moment of madness” era. The arrest and detention of people expressing their mind and emotions over a public atrocity that has been constantly given scant attention dampens the spirits of Zimbabweans who made the Long March from Zimbabwe Grounds to State House and harshly reminds us of the previous cruel dispensation under Mugabe’s rule. The people of Zimbabwe were beginning to think the post-Mugabe era would provide a new spirit of forgiveness and reconcilliation.
We are grossly saddened that the new power – brokers continue to ignore the basic tenets of democracy and continues to ignore genuine opportunities to promote dialogue, justice and peace. We are a few months away from a watershed plebiscite and such wanton behavior gives very little signals that for the first time we will go through a free, fair and credible election . It becomes more disturbing that the abduction occurred within a church -service which was preaching reconcilliation and tolerance. Such hypocritical overtures obviously have no place in the hearts and minds of God-fearing Zimbabweans as we enter the new year.
May sanity continue to prevail as we traverse this transitional period leading to just elections. We believe credible elections do not mean the absence of violence but the presence of JUSTICE.
Yours in Christ
Father Augustine Dizara
(Director – Ecumenical Forum for Dialogue,Justice and Peace)
COMMENTS
Gukuruhundi 2 has started in the City of Kings. From an ED, Chiwenga and Shiri perspective – it is fair game to beat Ndebele people because they deem them to be inferior or something? Why is it that Dabengwa was part and parcel of the plan to unseat the main man of the Gukuruhundi – Mugabe himself – and then all off a sudden it is a Zanu affair and the ZAPU war veterans are sidelined as second rate citizens? Is this the new age Zanu?
The church of God is a holy place and needs respect. While those youths had all the right to protest, they should have chosen some other place other than the church. Why did they not protest at the airport? Why bring the holy place of God to disrepute?
I fail to understand the logic of these human rights groups who feel anyone has the right to interrupt a church service for personal gratification or whatever.
Why did they not protest the various Mugabe rallies held in the city over the past 37 years? Judging from various current incidences one is left wondering whether the two leaders of the political parties involved (ZANU PF and PF ZAPU) were in control of their parties, as all the blame on the ZANU PF side is being laid on ED while PF ZAPU seems to have been driver-less as no one is mentioned from that side