by Innocent Mujeri
The Secretary General of the opposition Labour, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD), Henry Ngara has condemned demonstrations and other forms of confrontational politics as retrogressive and called for dialogue to settle all political misunderstandings in the country.
Ngara’s sentiments come at a time when leaders of the MDC- Alliance, Nelson Chamisa, Transform Zimbabwe president, Jacob Ngarivhume as well as leader of Front for Economic Emancipation Zimbabwe, Godfrey Tsenengamu, are calling for illegal demonstrations meant to unconstitutionally depose the duly elected Government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Ngara said history has proved that illegal demonstrations have not achieved anything except vandalism of property and other acts of lawlessness.
“To what end? Can a demo serve this country? Let me remind you of the recent allegations of abduction by the MDC-Alliance trio, who after stage managing their abduction, got arrested for undermining the law and had to spend nights in remand prison all because of a demo".
“My fellow leaders we all know that a lot of these ‘so-called demonstrations’ have happened and they have achieved nothing, all we got was destruction of property and businesses through vandalism and looting . The instigators of the demonstrations are usually not present during these lawless activities, because they know it is wrong. Is this what we want to continue with?” queried Ngara.
Ngara urged Zimbabweans to desist from politics of hate speech and violence. He added that the problems currently bedevilling our country can only be solved through dialogue.
“What if we stood up as citizens and pressured our own leaders to negotiate better deals for us when they are in Government, in Parliament or in whichever office they hold so that we can have better livelihoods. What if we stopped politics of hate speech and violence,” said Ngara.
He admonished the generality of Zimbabweans to shun the July 31 2020 planned demonstrations as they are meant to satisfy the selfish political egos of some individuals.
“ I believe we are being used in a fight that doesn't represent us. Let us be productive. Let us lead our people in a way that won't put blemish on our collars,” said Ngara.
Meanwhile, other opposition outfits such as MDC-T and secessionist Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) have distanced themselves from the planned #31July protests.
The spokesperson of MDC-T acting president Thokozani Khupe, Mr Khalipani Pugeni, said that it was not sensible that people would want to demonstrate at a time the COVID-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc in the country.
Pugeni added that people should not risk their lives by allowing themselves to mingle with people during the planned protests.
MRP president Mqondisi Moyo also said his party will not engage in demonstrations meant to push selfish agendas of certain individuals.
Political analyst, Nobleman Runyanga has also dismissed the planned #31July demonstrations as mere attention seeking manoeuvres meant to cause alarm and despondency, when the nation was seized with rising cases of COVID-19.
