Date: 07/03/21

Youth Decide Zimbabwe (YDZ) organization condemns the cruel and insensitive incarceration of our Secretary for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Falon Dunga and other three ZINASU leaders, namely Pritchard T. Paradzai, Alan Chipoyi and Glown Magaya. Our colleagues spent two days in police custody, before they granted a bail on Saturday, just for speaking against the illegal detention, and calling for impartial and independent judiciary system in solidarity with their fellow ZINASU leaders, Takudzwa Ngadziore and Tapiwa Chiringa.

We are so deliberated by exponential increment in levels of suppression, the regression of democracy, authoritarian consolidation and weaponisation of the law against youth leaders, journalists and the whole spectrum of activism. As the organization, we totally condemn the continuous deterioration of the democratic space, human rights abuse and insolent arrests, particularly, of youth leaders.

If anything, the recent arrest of Makomborero Haruzivishe, Takudzwa Ngadziore, Tapiwa Chiringa, Netsai Marova, Cecilia Chimbiri, Hon. Joana Mamombe, our leader Falon Dunga and company, is a clear sign that the dark past was much brighter than the current.

The Youth Decide Zimbabwe takes with great exception the threats against youths, from all State corners. The move to eliminate youth participation in civic society groups operating in Zimbabwe is merely an attempt to silence dissenting voices and further step towards authoritarian rule while protecting the elite at the expense of the national interest.

We implore the Zimbabwean government to uphold the principle of separation of power and key tenets of democracy, as well as to acknowledge the role of the youth in democracy, prosperity and stability as stipulated by the National Constitution [Section 20], African Youth Charter (AYC, 2006) [Article 11] and Agenda 2063 [Aspiration 11].

ISSUED BY YOUTH DECIDE ZIMBABWE

LEARNMORE MUNHANGU
[Executive Director]
Contact: [email protected]