Tinashe Sambiri| The MDC Alliance Namibia has denounced the victimization of veterans of the liberation war by the clueless Zanu PF regime.
In a statement, MDC Alliance Namibia called for the immediate release of war veterans who were arrested in Harare on Wednesday.
Read statement below:
The welfare and dignity of our war veterans shall be a top priority in the New Great Zimbabwe:Mdc Alliance Namibia posits.
28 October 2021
Mdc Alliance Namibia totally condemns the arbitrary arrest and torture of the genuine revolutionaries (war veterans) who fought the liberation struggle in order to free all from colonial hegemony. It’s quite sarcastic to have a purported new dispensation of self-claimed war veterans failing to comprehend the significance of their colleagues by arresting them instead of addressing the submitted real demands. Unlike the “New Deception” led by Mr Mnangagwa, the people’s dynamic President Advocate Nelson Chamisa ordered the satanic Harare regime to halt their victimisation of former freedom fighters. Mdc Alliance Namibia resonates with the political dynamo when he said, “My dream and mission is to see our politics based more on ideas and thought , anchored more on issues and debate away from insults, hate and violence”.
The organic and pragmatic President of the national democratic revolution went on to say, “As a people’s government , we will never harass ,terrorise , disrespect, ignore or forget our war veterans and liberation heroes as well as heroines. Their welfare and dignity is and shall be our priority. All their grievances must be addressed. Stop arresting and harassing our liberation heroes. A new Great is Zimbabwe loading”. The district eulogises President Advocate Nelson Chamisa for demonstrating leadership through his powerful advocacy compelling Zanupf to stop violating the rights to food,freedom of movement and residence ,shelter, freedom of expression, assembly and the protection of the law. The message from Namibia is very clear that Zanupf-sponsored security authorities must stop silencing human rights defenders , war veterans and under the guise of constitutionalism.
The prohibition of torture through persecution by prosecution as enshrined in many international and regional universal basic human rights instruments , particularly the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel ,Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights states:”All forms of exploitation and degradation of man , particularly slave trade ,slavery, torture,cruel ,inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment,shall be prohibited”. ZanuPF and their surrogates are not an exception since they are also bound by the UN and African Charter. We are calling upon the extravagant Finance Minister Mtuli Ncube to address the socio-economic challenges bedevilling our war veterans, teachers who are also receiving slave wages not forgetting the whole poverty-stricken citizenry working for these belly politicians of plunder and self-enrichment.
What transpired on Wednesday at the New Government Complex epitomises the true colours of political hypocrites who masquerade as real liberators. The heroes and heroines deserve to be paid back by the Zanupf government through quality social services and extreme care vesus the stomach politics approach that the desperate regime has embraced. Everyone in Zimbabwe is a victim of Zanupf gross misgovernance manifesting in unprecedented graft and insatiable appetite to use state apparatus as springboards for the primitive accumulation of national resources with impunity. Zimbabweans need living wages so that they can cater for basic commodities. Pensioners ,workers and the wholesale of unemployed youths are all victims of torture and inhuman treatment since they are scratching their heads for a single decent meal per day. We need to register to vote in 2023, vote and defend the people’s vote through constitutional means.
At least nine disgruntled war veterans were arbitrarily arrested by the remote-controlled Zanupf police after peacefully gathering at the Finance Minister Mtuli Ncube’s offices demanding an increase to their eroded and pathetic monthly pensions. The illegal arrest came a day after empty-headed Ncube announced that Zimbabwe had received nearly US$1 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The struggle heroes and heroines were democratically expressing their disappointment in the selfish government that has dismally failed to simply review their current scornful monthly pension earnings of about $16 000(100US$). Like anyone else, these unsalted peanuts can hardly buy food for the family, pay school fees and get decent accommodation among other social demands. Expressing poverty and hunger caused inequalities is enshrined in our 2013 constitution.
According to social democrats on the ground,one of the war veterans who evaded the undemocratic arrest absolutely condemned the arrest as unlawful since they were not demonstrating but waiting outside the New Government Complex for written response from Ncube. He said, “There was no demonstration. We were waiting for a response from Ncube”. Mdc Alliance Namibia feels energised to continue mobilising citizens to converge for complete change in 2023. We are wholely infuriated that torture is still being exploited as a weapon of preference against dissent ,practised during and outside legal detention. Mdc Alliance Namibia intends to inform the war veterans and the rest of the citizenry that demonstrations are allowed according to Section 65 of the 2013 constitution. Freedom of expression, assembly and association are provided by the supreme law of Zimbabwe.
In a nutshell, Namibia district urges all Zimbabweans to come together ,unite ,register to vote in 2023, defend the vote and demand the return to legitimacy. We did not forget the recommendations made by the United Nations Committee Against Torture and other UN committees when they openly warned in 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic was leading to an escalation of torture and ill-treatment world wide. ZanuPF should respect human freedoms for all. War veterans played a significant role in the liberation war to usher in socio-economic development and basic human freedoms not this senseless and barefaced looting with impunity. #ZanupfMustGo
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Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya
