MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala says Zimbabwe has reached a tipping point, warning President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s government not to take boiling discontent against its leadership lightly.<\/p>\n
Sikhala, who was recently detained for over 40 days for playing a leading role in organising the July 31 protests against corruption that were crushed by security forces, said a heavy-handed response to dissent would not forestall an uprising.<\/p>\n
\u201cZimbabwe has reached the tipping point,\u201d the Zengeza West MP told The Standard in a wide-ranging interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t see a looming implosion, you must be living in a different world.<\/p>\n
\u201cZimbabwe is pregnant with a revolution and delivery and birth is imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sikhala was, alongside Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume, the voice of the 31st July Movement that spearheaded the protests.<\/p>\n
The government justified the crackdown against the movement\u2019s leaders saying they were sponsored by western countries to topple Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n
Sikhala said the movement remained active and he would continue pushing its agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 31st July Movement remains a citizen platform to air their grievances,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a convergence platform of diverse characters representing different constituency groups. It is owned by citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will continue to spearhead the cries of our people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will continue calling for action to make the voices of our people from diverse constituencies heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will spearhead more collective citizen actions in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will not rest until the voice of the people is heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatch its rapid strategy in motion that is in store by the citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former student leader dismissed allegations by MDC-T spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni that he was about to join Thokozani Khupe\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s taking me and the people of Zimbabwe for granted. I am not a hater,\u201d Sikhala said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI smile to everyone, but don\u2019t spite my smile with false claims as it is in my nature.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remain the vice-chairman of the MDC Alliance and the spokesperson of the broad citizens\u2019 movement, the 31st of July Movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWhat I despise is the Zanu-PF regime and everything related to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI witnessed several splits in the MDC over years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are no longer interesting adventures for me because they never advanced the goals of our liberation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He denied reports of splits in the MDC Alliance, saying the party led by Nelson Chamisa remained united.<\/p>\n
\u201cFissures only exist in the figment of those, who form such illusions and believe them,\u201d Sikhala said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot stop enemies of progress to wish bad to us, when truth on the ground speaks differently.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is loyalty and faith as to the leadership elected at the Gweru congress.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala says Zimbabwe has reached a tipping point, warning President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s government not to take boiling discontent against its leadership lightly. Sikhala, who was recently detained for over 40 days for playing a leading role in organising the July 31 protests against corruption that were crushed by security forces, said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":11065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[34,762],"class_list":{"0":"post-29623","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-emmerson-mnangagwa","10":"tag-sikhala"},"yoast_head":"\n