Farai Dziva|The chairperson of the MDC Alliance Women’s Assembly, Paurina Mpariwa has described the arrest of three MDC youth leaders as a desperate attempt to muzzle democratic voices in the country.
See full statement below :
The news on the arrest of Deputy Youth Chair, cde Cecilia Chimbiri, Deputy Organising Secretary cde Netsai Marowa and the Secretary for Policy and Research Hon Joana Mamombe showed me that the Government is in panic mode.
The three ladies were arrested at a roadblock near the show grounds and their whereabouts remain unknown.
They communicated with other Youth leaders and told them that they were at Harare Central Police Station.
Their lawyers and party leadership looked for them there and could not find them.
My fear as a mother now is that the police are going to harm them since it is known to be their Modus Operandi.
They want to instil fear in the people because they know the power lies with the people.
They know pretty well that the people of Zimbabwe are dying of hunger under lockdown and they know that the masses are angry that they want to impose leaders on them.
These youths are the leaders of the future Zimbabwe and all what they are demanding is their rights and freedoms. They are harmless youths with no guns at all and the police had no right to arrest them without a crime. If they had committed a crime, the police was just supposed to open a docket, but alas this did not happen.
I am appealing to all progressive forces to help us search for our children. They are innocent and do not deserve this.
Lastly I would like to urge all women structures of the party to join hands with me as we search for our children and expose the government of their terrorist behaviour. This is a barbaric act that can only be done by cowards who think they can stop the wind of change by arresting those in leadership. The people of Zimbabwe shall liberate themselves from bondage. Rise up women of Zimbabwe!
The time is now! It’s now or never! We demand the release of Cecilia, Joanna and Netsai NOW!
Wathinthu’mama, Wathinti’mbokodo
Womandla!!!!!!!
Paurina Mpariwa (Hon)
Chairperson – MDC Alliance
Assembly of Women
