Mahere Slams Government’s Double Standards In Responding To Protests

Former Mt Pleasant MP, Fadzayi Mahere (CCC), has criticized the government for its harsh and often violent responses to opposition protests, highlighting the frequent use of abductions, torture, and arrests on false charges, particularly when the protests are linked to former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa.

She pointed out that while the government has historically cracked down on opposition members and activists, no such actions have been taken against people from the ruling party, even when they call for unrest.

Mahere’s comments after on March 31, former ZANU PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza, along with some other war veterans, called for an “uprising,” but none of the instigators have been arrested.

Mahere cited several cases where opposition figures, particularly those linked to Chamisa, have been arrested, tortured, or jailed without trial after being suspected of organising protests. She wrote on X:

There’s an unpopular truth that’s missing in the discourse. If the main opposition had organised a protest, key actors would have been abducted and tortured well ahead of the protests.

Any convenors would have been arrested on bogus charges. CIO agents would have been stalking people’s cars. They would have remained in jail for hundreds of days with no bail.

The whole reason Jameson Timba and over 70 others were tortured and arrested is because the regime thought they were planning a protest ahead of the SADC Summit.

Amos Chibaya with a number of opposition members has very recently been wrongly convicted because of a meeting held in Budiriro where the regime thought a protest was being planned.

Job Sikhala was arrested and detained for over 500 days because they thought he was planning a demonstration in Nyatsime in response to Moreblessing Ali’s gruesome murder.

Takudzwa Ngadziore was abducted on his way to Parliament because they thought he was mobilising young people to demonstrate.

The “MDC Trio”, that is, Joana Mamombe Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were abducted, tortured and sexually assaulted because they were part of a hunger protest.

Womberraiishe Nhende was abducted and tortured because the regime believed a protest was in the works and he was a key mobilizer.

I could go as there are numerous examples of this.

While there may have been police on the streets yesterday, we did not see the usual arbitrary arrests, beatings, torture, abductions and prolonged illegal detentions we normally see when the opposition plans or is thought to be planning a protest.

There is something that hits different when people aligned to Nelson Chamisa plan any protests against the mass poverty, injustice and corruption of ZANU PF.

We need new leaders.

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