Ngarivhume plots another 31st July demo

Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume has revealed that his party is planning another 31^st July demonstration to demand an end to corruption and bad governance.

Ngarivhume was arrested last year for organizing a demonstration when the country was under a COVID-19 induced national lockdown.

The arrest prevented Ngarivhume from taking part in the demonstration as he was remanded in custody.

In the absence of Ngarivhume to lead the demonstration, Job Sikhala and some MDC Alliance youths took over the initiative.

Sikhala briefly stayed in the bush promising to come on July 31^st to lead the demonstration from the front.

Out of fear, President Emmerson Mnangagwa deployed soldiers and anti-riot police into the streets to squash the demonstration.

What Ngarivhume said

However, speaking during an interview on The Week with Comrade Fatso, Ngarivhume said nothing has changed and so they are planning a series of demonstrations ahead of 31^st July.

‘’We are saying we still have unfinished business, the issues we raised around July 2020 are still with us, the issues of corruption and bad governance. We are protected by the constitution of Zimbabwe from Section 59 through to Section 61.

‘’They give us the right to protest as citizens and so we are saying this year again we will have a series of peaceful demonstrations, in the runup to the 31^st (of July) so that our issues around corruption are addressed. If they are not, we have no reason to keep quiet about the issues we have been raising.

‘’So, we are preparing for some more demonstrations and all our calls for demonstrations are peaceful, very peaceful ones. If it lands us again in prison so, be it. But we are saying the issues have not changed and so we are going back into the streets,’’ he said.

#ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Ngarivhume’s proposed demonstration last year coincided with an online campaign dubbed #ZimbabweanLivesMatter which later drew international and regional attention.

Renowned celebrities and politicians all took a stand in support of the people of Zimbabweans through the #ZimbabweanLivesMatter campaign.

The arrest of Ngarivhume, Hopewell Chin’ono and warrant of arrest for Job Sikhala, Peter Mutasa (ZCTU) and Obert Masaraure (ARTUZ) saw South Africa dispatching an envoy to Zimbabwe.

On top of the envoy, African National Congress also sent a delegation to meet with Zanu PF over the issue. 

However, the delegations refused to meet with other stakeholders to get the other side of the story.

Opposition parties, churches and civic society organisation had hoped to meet with the delegation but to no avail.

Those leading the delegation and the envoy promised to come back and meet with other stakeholders, but nothing has materialized.

It remains to be seen how government will respond to Ngarivhume’s plans as demonstrations are currently banned due to COVID-19. Zimbabwe is also on record saying it cannot hold the overdue by-elections due to COVID-19 threats.

Ngarivhume plots another 31st July demo