via Regime change calls legal: NGO – DailyNews Live by Pindai Dube 4 NOVEMBER 2013
Zimbabwe’s civic groups have vowed to continue calling for regime change despite Zanu PF’s overwhelming win in the July 31 election.
This was revealed at a civic society exhibition last week.
“As civic society it is our role to push for regime change. There is nothing illegal, that is why we have elections in the country. Why would we go for elections if you don’t want to change government or governance? We are really proud to push for regime change,” Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) spokesperson Thabani Nyoni told participants during a three-day civic groups’ Ideas Festival exhibition show in Bulawayo last week.
He said the group’s thrust is to force government to be accountable to the general populace and deliver on its promises.
“We will not apologise for our push for regime change because there is nothing wrong with that, in fact we are now seeing the fruits of regime change. I was in rural areas in Tsholotsho recently and I saw Zanu PF people telling their colleagues not to politicise food aid.
“This is something that was unheard of,” Nyoni said.
Nyoni said the Ideas Festival showed there was a platform for citizens to engage government on various socio-economic and political issues.
“The elections have come and gone and left many realities that we have to deal with. It is therefore important as a country that we stop and think about what kind of republic we want and what kind of Zimbabwe will work for us,” he said.
CZC is a broad based civil society network comprising churches, women’s groups, social movements, residents associations, labour unions, human rights lawyers, and health professionals.
In the past decade, the Zanu PF government has been accusing civic society groups and non–governmental organisations (NGO’s) of being used by the West in the regime change agenda.
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa once accused NGO’s and civic groups of receiving “dirty money” from the West to help remove President Robert Mugabe from power.
At its congress in Gweru last year, Zanu PF passed a resolution to “flush out” NGOs and civic groups accusing them of being a security threat and working with MDC formations.
This was followed by threats on civic groups’ officials, with former Masvingo governor and resident minister Titus Maluleke banning 29 NGOs from operating in his province after accusing them of not being registered with his office and the Labour ministry.
In May this year, former Bulawayo governor Cain Mathema who is now the Matabeleland North provincial minister called on government to ban most NGOs blaming them for advancing imperial “interests”.
COMMENTS
The drones have been purchased. The targets selected. Watch this space zanu taliban alshabab alquaeda magandangas
ZANU-PF likes to write laws or to characterize normal legitimate behavior as illegal when it causes them to be discomfited. So, in a democracy, regime change only becomes illegal when ZANU-PF says it is. It’s the same illogical thinking as that ridiculous law that makes it a crime to refer to Mugabe as OLD! Maybe the Zanoids should write a law to do away with unemployment and hunger? That would certainly solve those problems, right?
True there must be regime change and it will be come. The fact we did not have it now does not mean that we will not have it. Caps and ntsarus together with infiltrating opposition political parties and hiring of CIA linked Israeli organizations such as NIKUV can only guarantee short term victories. It is truely adhering to the will of the people that can guarantee genuine and meaningful victory.
Yes, DL, make and use laws against opponents, and ignore those that condemn themselves. That’s the ZANUPF way, eh.
That regime change needs to hurry… the Chinese are knocking on the door.
You NGOs should reflect back and review the sufferings to the general population caused by this regime change strategy, both at international level through sanctions and at local level through violence and huger. The strategy left us at the mercy of the WEST and we are worse off than we were 2000. The regime change strategy is at the centre of the country’s suffering and the NGOs were the main sponsors and strategies. They are indeed the enemy of the poor, the enemy of the hungry, the enemy of development, the enemy of the majority, and indeed the enemy of the state.
Yes, Shebah, it’s just awful how the NGOs have provided food for those in need that the government ignores. How disgusting the NGOs should care, when ZANUPF has a better plan… “Vote our way, or starve.”
And those nasty sanctions… keeping Grace from her shopping has just been devastating for the economy. How dare other countries not understand how much everyone in Zim wants Grace to have a new pair of shoes. It has caused 85% unemployment and made the ZANUPF bigwigs wealthy.
Oh, and ZANUPF violence. Yes, NGOs caused all that by distributing mealie. They should be ashamed.
Fallenz I see you are a hard believer but from your response you see sense unless you are one of those who comment from the comfort of the DIASPORA. Zimbabwe need progressive people not those who want to destroy in order to be in charge. The DIASPORA has lost torch with reality Zimbabwe is on the mend. Some of us already have two cars and two houses all from tobacco and more is coming this season while you hope for change which will never come
Shebah you are destroying the environment cutting down trees for your tobacco, how short sighted yout are. Bomboclaat!
Bomboklaat is Haitian, ha! ha! Well done! Queen Shebah, admirer of Jew Solomon, sanctions are good – dis-Grace is wearing Singaporan slingbacks instead of Cesare-Paciotti’s. Migarbage is wearing ZingZong suits instead of Saville Row.
NGO’s with Western money do what ZANU-PF is unwilli9ng to do, help Zimbabweans!