As President Robert Mugabe spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York this week – and blamed his country’s socio-economic plight on sanctions imposed by the West – rival groups of demonstrators protested outside.
Source: Bob’s sold Zimbabwe to Chinese: Protesters – Times LIVE September 23, 2016
As President Robert Mugabe spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York this week – and blamed his country’s socio-economic plight on sanctions imposed by the West – rival groups of demonstrators protested outside.
Pastor Evan Mawarire’s This Flag Movement – which spearheaded broadly based protests against the Zimbabwean government earlier this year, and members of Tajamuka joined forces to tell the world of their grievances.
Video clips shared on social media by the demonstrators showed a group of about 40 anti-Mugabe people protesting. In one clip they sing: ”Bob, you sold the country to the Chinese. Don’t forget, we voted you in – we will vote you out.”
”How does anyone support someone who runs down a country until there’s 95% unemployment? We are not demonstrating here because we want privileges. We are demonstrating because we want our rights,” said a Dr Manyika, who is based in the US.
After Mugabe’s UN speech, Mawarire, who is in exile in the US after fleeing Zimbabwe following a police crackdown earlier this year, said that official corruption has nothing to do with sanctions.
”What do sanctions have to do with corruption? What do sanctions have to do with citizens being arrested unjustly and tortured? Zimbabwe is not a private company,” he said.
The pro-Mugabe December 12 Movement staged its own demonstration, saying the West was crucifying Mugabe for giving land to landless Zimbabweans.
COMMENTS
After 36 years leading the country, Mugabe has not ye figured out how to give people their land equitably. What a shame? Will there be a fair way to give out the land?