Staff Reporter | Robert Mugabe’s actions of bowing to pressure to pay civil servants within 24 hours on Wednesday, are still not enough as he has avoided numerous other key demands such that Zimbabwe desperately needs another #ShutDownZim so to press the second gear.  Mugabe might have listened on salaries, but he is still abusing citizens, abducting and arbitrarily arresting many for dubious charges, while continuing in other acts which violate the supreme law of the country.

A distraught but resilient Evan Mawarire has just made a public broadcast venting his frustration over the State’s heavy handedness in dealing with the people’s grievances.
Mawarire who has for months run the popular #thisflag campaign, was nearly abducted on Friday afternoon by apparent Central Intelligence Organisation operatives. Visibly shaken but full of resolve, the man who has become the face of Zimbabwe’s struggle, Nelson Mandela style, spoke against violence, but urged citizens on, “I know it’s tough, but we must be tougher.”
He continued, “tonight has been one of those tough nights some men tried to abduct me against my will. some other men have been arrested, Tajamuka, what we are trying to do is build our country,” he said.
He went on, “Mr Government, why can you not extend a hand that says I agree or says lets discuss? Why must you always extend handcuffs to say I want to lock you away and you are my enemy when we disagree? That is the problem that we have in Zimbabwe, that when one questions they are labeled an enemy, just because they have challenged you on something that must change; otherwise we are going nowhere,” said Mawarire with his Zim flag draped around his neck.
He outlined three key demands to the embattled government: fix corruption, injustice and poverty.
“Fire corrupt ministers deal with them, too many police on roadblocks taking money, teachers, civil servants, must be given all their money, pay them on time,” he said.
He warned government, “If you do not respond to us we are going to shut down again; Citizens I want to ask you a favour, I know that we did this last week, let us try to do it again I plead with you citizens, this is the only way that this government will understand,” as he made another call to action next Wednesday and Thursday.
“We want a Zimbabwe that we can be proud of, a Zimbabwe that can welcome back its citizens from abroad to find a place to build their nation,” he said.
This is not the first time Mawarire has been targeted. After being a leading proponent of the shutdown campaign, he claimed Thursday that intelligence operatives were trailing him.
“But the action from the citizens is amazing. The citizens have united and spoken with one voice. We know it has sent a message to them (Mugabe and Zanu PF) already, as seen by their panic when they blocked WhatsApp,” he said.