Staff Reporter When he started a solo #ThisFlag campaign taking short videos of himself, on message – what Zimbabweans wanted to hear and full of inspiration to awaken them out their deep political slumber into action, Evan Mawarire must have under estimated the task ahead.
His political eloquence and presentation set the whole nation on fire.
From the solo vidoe campaign to global #ThisFlag campaigns, expectations are high on the preacher, decisions he makes are no longer about him and his family alone but whole multitudes in a matter of months he inspired to dream again. #ThisFlag united Zimbabweans like no other campaign has ever done in recent years, from within the country into the vast Diaspora. Mawarire by choice or mere historical coincidence, perhaps fate has a life that will never be the same again. The toastmaster speaks with eloquence and much exhuberance to steer his audience into action.
Organisers of #ThisFlag campaign are in a hard place as they try to explain Mawarire’s move to the United States of America. Some feel he has sold out and should have stayed put like many before him. Morgan Tsvangirai stayed, Joice Mujuru is hanging on there, others are fighting from the belly of the beast in Zanu PF itself but they have not run.
The yet to be known organisers say the movement should continue in spite of its leader’s absence, as this was crucial in avoiding the cult of personality, which was responsible for the mess the country finds itself in.
“Every citizen is equally responsible for the rise and fall of this movement,” the movement said in a statement yesterday. “We must move away from the personality cult politics of our country that have got us to a place where we look to one man to be our Messiah.”
The campaign said Mawarire had an open-ended stay in the US, although it insisted #ThisFlag will continue in his absence, as “the citizens own the movement and will decide its future”.
This comes as the campaign has moved to formalise its structures to peacefully pressure President Robert Mugabe’s administration to address the prevailing socio-economic crisis in the country. “The Zimbabwe we want is a burden that rests squarely on all our shoulders,” the statement said.
“The civic duty to hold our government to account rests on all of us and not on Pastor Evan alone. He lit the fire and we cannot heap the survival and sustenance of the movement on him and his young family. The vision of a free and prosperous Zimbabwe should drive us, whilst the values of the movement remain the glue that binds us together.”
Mugabe has threatened unspecified action against Mawarire, who turned into a hero a few months ago, following his arrest on “trumped-up charges” of insulting the Zanu PF leader and seeking to unconstitutionally topple him.
When the courts acquitted him, Mawarire travelled to South Africa and later took his family to the US, where he is reportedly drumming up support for the movement.
The group said all its activities were being funded by Zimbabweans, both in and outside the country.