by Charles Motsi
Time and time again we have heard civil society organisations and opposition parties call for the respect of Human Rights by Government and security agencies. One would assume that they would themselves respect the same rights and champion them in all that they do.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its third session on 10 December 1948 and within it is the Right to Free Movement. The right to free movement guarantees everyone mobility rights, or the right to travel encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country, and to leave the country and return to it if they so wish.
This was not the case last week when the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), self-proclaimed pastor Evan Mawarire and other civic organisations called for a national shutdown. What took place was a wholesale abuse of people’s right to free movement by hooligans who chanted songs, slogans and displayed signs used by the opposition movement MDC and the so-called human rights activists have been mum on the issue.
The police and other law enforcement agencies had to be called-in to restore order and defend the rights of the masses who simply were not willing to shut down the country. So in a nutshell the whole exercise was a monumental failure that only produced misery and unfortunate loss of life to innocent citizens.
For a whole week unruly individuals played cat and mouse games with the police with the sole purpose of preventing people from going about their business. So when Mawarire and company come out and celebrate that no one was going about their business as a sign that people supported their pointless stay-away someone needs to remind them that the reason people stayed indoors is that they were terrified by the hoodlums who were responding to their call to shut down the economy.
Now that it is clear the shutdown was colossal failure what should be that way forward?
The ZCTU, Tajamuka/Sesjikile and the MDC are calling for more demonstrations. But is this the way to go for a nation looking to attract investors and build a nation? These methods being prescribed by these foreign sponsored anti-government groups are counter-productive and will not yield any positive results as evidenced by the loss of revenue in the recent stay-away estimated at $300 million.
The rowdy youths who are pawns in these demos are highly unpredictable and tend to favour violence once they start moving around in mobs creating a conducive environment for criminals to take advantage of. The looting and destruction of property witnessed last week cannot be a solution for any progressive mind. So those calling for a repeat of these redundant methods surely have other motives, all of which have nothing to do with the development of this nation.
A much sober solution is that proposed by President Mnangagwa of national dialogue. The President had to cut short his state visit to Europe to come back home and address the concerns of protesting masses and as soon as he touched ground he made it clear that as the head of state he was open to discussion with the nation’s various stakeholders.
This is not the first time he has extended his hand to the other side as he has always maintained that he is a listening President and was open to suggestions from any progressive Zimbabwean on how to build the economy and not just concentrate on useless politicking.
As a people, surely, we all want what’s best for our nation and now that the methods proposed by the opposition have failed it is time to get behind the one and only duly elected President and engage each other in constructive dialogue that will see this nation once again become the powerhouse it should be.
