THE July 31 Movement has set aside August 31 for \u201cmore protests\u201d to pile pressure on the government to end corruption, arbitrary arrests and other gross human rights violations against civilians and activists, its spokesperson Job Sikhala said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Sikhala, who is MDC Alliance vicechair, is in hiding as police bay for his blood for allegedly inciting violence by calling for protests against the Zanu-PF government.<\/p>\n
Speaking from his hideout, Sikhala gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his regime 10 days to stop all acts of alleged abductions and torture of the citizens and ensure workers are paid in a stable currency.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop forthwith the on-going abductions, torture and sexual assaults of citizens. Take immediate and full responsibility for all previous cases of abductions, torture and sexual assaults of citizens and hold everyone involved in these cases to account in terms of national and international law,\u201d the Zengeza West legislator said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop politically-motivated arrests of citizens forthwith, end forthwith all political trials that are before the courts and get the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to arrest and charge all persons involved in massive corruption and looting of public resources and State assets.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIf Mnangagwa\u2019s regime does not act within the specified ultimatum period, Zimbabweans will join hands on Monday August 31, 2020 to protest against its complicity and inaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sikhala said on the same day, the South African opposition Economic Freedom Fighters together with \u201cour brothers and sisters in South Africa\u201d will shut down the Beitbridge Border Post in solidarity with Zimbabweans \u201cwhose lives and livelihoods have been put in grave danger by Mnangagwa\u2019s regime\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is outrageous that Zimbabwe\u2019s prisons are currently filled with prisoners of conscience, who are demanding accountability from the regime, while masters of corruption, abductors and human rights abusers roam around free,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sikhala is on the police wanted list together with several other activities who are accused of organising the July 31 protest, which was foiled by the military and police.
\nMnangagwa yesterday celebrated the failure of the July 31 push, saying it had shamed his detractors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to commend the party and thecitizensingeneralforshunningthe machinations of violence and division through the planned ill-fated July 31 insurrection.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing the failure, our detractors are evidently in disarray and desperate and grasping at straws to destroy confidence in our democratically-elected government. They are equally on overdrive to discredit our people centred programmes,\u201d the Zanu-PF leader told his party\u2019s politburo meeting in Harare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE July 31 Movement has set aside August 31 for \u201cmore protests\u201d to pile pressure on the government to end corruption, arbitrary arrests and other gross human rights violations against civilians and activists, its spokesperson Job Sikhala said yesterday. Sikhala, who is MDC Alliance vicechair, is in hiding as police bay for his blood for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":9939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[88,762,386],"class_list":{"0":"post-26719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-parties","9":"tag-mdc","10":"tag-sikhala","11":"tag-zacc"},"yoast_head":"\n