Democrats Rally to Oust Mugabe as Zimbabweans Lament Bad Governance
Zimababwe's President Robert Mugabe chants Zanu PF slogans with supporters gathered at the Harare International Conference Centre in Harare, Wednesday May 3, 2000. Mugabe launched the Zanu PF's election manifesto which bears the slogan "Land is the Economy and the Economy is Land". (AP Photo/Christine Nesbitt)
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF ZIMBABWE,PDZ, CALLS FOR NATIONWIDE PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS ON WEDNESDAY TO DEMAND FOR THE STEPPING ASIDE OF PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE. In a statement made available to SECURITY MONITOR by the leader of the PDZ, Barbara Nyagomo, PDZ a frontline opposition party says It is a clarion call that all Zimbawbweans both home and in Diaspora agreed to down tools and protest the immediate resignation of the 92 years old President. “We are urging people to peacefully demonstrate and call for an end to the era of oppression and brutality daily orchestrated by the tyrannically led government of Mugabe. Fellow Zimbabweans, you have a constitutional right to peaceful demonstrations. That right comes with the responsibility to respect life, protect property and the respect of other people’s views.
Police should protect the demonstrators; the demonstrators are the people, don’t forget those demonstrators are the government, that the police and other security agents should be protecting.
Those that are demonstrating should also respect the rights of others including the security agents who are supposed to be protecting them.
Instead of repressing and suppressing the popular sentiments among the people manifesting in the demonstrations, government has to address the causes of the myriad problems facing the country.
We note with concern the unfortunate and ill-timed decision by the government to ban imports of basics without local industry to competitively meet that demand. The importation of basic commodities was providing a livelihood whilst meeting the gap caused by lack of local industrial production.
This is even more telling when such a decision was taken when there is rampant unemployment at over 80 per cent.
We have been on this import licencing road before. We know its attendant corrupt tendencies. Import licences for the boys, in short licences for Zanu-PF cadres and the rest of genuine importers will now have to buy these licences from Zanu-PF cadres at a premium. This will in turn, make the cost of these imports higher than they were before.
When all is said and done the ordinary people get the raw end of the stick.
If indeed we are genuine in protecting local industry, why are we not extending the ban to all sectors of the economy including the access to foreign medical facilities and services?
The local health system has collapsed; it needs the same kind of support.
The collapsed economy has led to the collapse in government revenues. This has forced government departments, including the police, to become tax collectors. The police, in turn demand payment in cash only from a cashless public.
In the case of the numerous roadblocks the purpose is then lost between fund-raising and law enforcement. Unfortunately this practice has promoted corruption.
The delay in payment of civil servants salaries is completely unacceptable and is symptomatic of a collapsed economy. Who is to blame?
When they eventually get paid, it’s the beginning of another nightmare to physically access the cash.
In view of these myriad problems we challenge Robert Mugabe to call for fresh elections now to get a new mandate if he thinks people have forgotten his promise of two million jobs”.
Police should protect the demonstrators; the demonstrators are the people, don’t forget those demonstrators are the government, that the police and other security agents should be protecting.
Those that are demonstrating should also respect the rights of others including the security agents who are supposed to be protecting them.
Instead of repressing and suppressing the popular sentiments among the people manifesting in the demonstrations, government has to address the causes of the myriad problems facing the country.
We note with concern the unfortunate and ill-timed decision by the government to ban imports of basics without local industry to competitively meet that demand. The importation of basic commodities was providing a livelihood whilst meeting the gap caused by lack of local industrial production.
This is even more telling when such a decision was taken when there is rampant unemployment at over 80 per cent.
We have been on this import licencing road before. We know its attendant corrupt tendencies. Import licences for the boys, in short licences for Zanu-PF cadres and the rest of genuine importers will now have to buy these licences from Zanu-PF cadres at a premium. This will in turn, make the cost of these imports higher than they were before.
When all is said and done the ordinary people get the raw end of the stick.
If indeed we are genuine in protecting local industry, why are we not extending the ban to all sectors of the economy including the access to foreign medical facilities and services?
The local health system has collapsed; it needs the same kind of support.
The collapsed economy has led to the collapse in government revenues. This has forced government departments, including the police, to become tax collectors. The police, in turn demand payment in cash only from a cashless public.
In the case of the numerous roadblocks the purpose is then lost between fund-raising and law enforcement. Unfortunately this practice has promoted corruption.
The delay in payment of civil servants salaries is completely unacceptable and is symptomatic of a collapsed economy. Who is to blame?
When they eventually get paid, it’s the beginning of another nightmare to physically access the cash.
In view of these myriad problems we challenge Robert Mugabe to call for fresh elections now to get a new mandate if he thinks people have forgotten his promise of two million jobs”.
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