Tinashe Sambiri|Hard-hitting preacher, Bishop Ancelimo Magaya has described attempts by Zanu PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to use the chaos in the US to justify the violation of human rights in Zimbabwe as futile and embarrassing.

On Thursday Mr Mnangagwa cried for the removal of sanctions arguing US has no moral ground to “punish” Zimbabwe.

Analysts say the restrictions imposed on Harare target Zanu PF bigwigs, comtrary to claims that Zimbabwe has been slapped with sanctions.

Below is Bishop Magaya statement:

THE DEVELOPMENTS IN USA DEPLORABLE BUT NOT JUSTIFICATION FOR REPRESSIONS IN ZIMBABWE.

I have been following with keeness the reactions from Zimbabwean top politicians to the deplorable developments that have happened in the USA on January the 6th. The media world over is awashed with the story of the storming of the US capitol following Trump’s public address resulting in violence which saw 4 people killed and scores arrested. On the basis of this , President Mnangagwa took to Twitter, stating that USA has no moral ground to punish Zimbabwe through imposition of sanctions. ZBC TV during it’s current affairs broadcasting on the 7th of January went to lengths in presenting different commentators who lampasted and ridiculed the USA for it’s double standard. During 8 pm news hour, the TV station even went to the extent of drawing similarities between Trump and MDCA President Nelson Chamisa, highlighting Chamisa’s claim that Zanu Pf and ZEC had rigged 2018 elections.

Please note the following observations

1. What has happened in the USA is quite deplorable and should be condemned in the strongest of terms. Indeed, storming the US capitol and violently disrupting electoral processes is insurrection and not peaceful protest.
2. The shooting and killing of people by the police should be investigated and justice executed in the same way that we demanded justice for what happened on the 1st of August 2018 in Harare. The police should always use minimal force in dispersing crowds that may be turning violent.
3. It is heartening however to note that the strong institutions in the US preserve the country from degenerating into levels of lawlessness that we have witnessed in Zimbabwe.
4. ZBC TV shamelessly decided to draw similarities between Chamisa and Trump and deliberately avoided the same in what Mugabe and his top aides with the assistance of the military deed after 2018 harmonised elections when they barred the timeous release of election results and unlished violence to reverse MDC Tsvagirai electoral victory. Such disregard of historical facts that are still fresh in people’s minds is not only shocking but could be a strong premonition of what may happen again in future given the non repentance of President Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU PF.
5. Closely linked to the foregoing, if USA institutions were not strong enough, Trump could have successfully reversed Biden’s victory in the same way that Mugabe and his top aides including the current president did in 2008. Remember President Mnangagwa’s chronical of how he encouraged the former President to proceed forming cabinet regardless of the electoral loss he had suffered.
6. The desperateness with which the pro Zanu Pf commentators were quick to want to prove that their notion of democracy as a concept that should be contextualy defined can be a lesson to US is suspcious. They has been a sense in which the ” chinhu chedu ( entitlement attitude) amoug top Zanu Pf officials may have given them a sense of justification to retain power at all costs. This could be their understanding of democracy. Democracy should be practised within the context of Zanu Pf perpetuation. That is why the military intervened in November 2017. It was not to advance democracy in the context of multi partysm and civil liberties.
7. It is tragic to speak it yet true to say that the developments in the USA may be used to nurture , entrench and justify dictatorship in Zimbabwean governance system and other African countries like what is happening in Uganda.

GOD SAVE ZIMBABWE!