HARARE The opposition Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn partys interim leader, Simba Makoni, We are very powerful if we mobilise ourselves into action. Some would say oh what can we do, kunema blackboots, kunemawater cannons, kunema militia. (Oh what can we do, because the militia will descend upon us using blackboots and water canons) ,” said Makoni, while addressing journalists at the Quill Club in Harare last week.
The former finance minister added: “Oh yes, every good thing does not come easy, (Chinonaka chinodura). We cant expect the good life to come on its own. There is a lot that we can do as individuals, as groups, as journalists, as engineers but more importantly as citizens, we can organise ourselves.??Look at the Red Shirts in Bangkok. Isnt it uplifting to see the power of citizens.?
The Red Shirt demonstrations to demand elections in Thailand lasted for weeks despite security forces killing more than 70 people and wounding 2 000 others in a bid to crush the protests. The protestors only surrendered after the arrest of their leaders.
Makoni said the unity government had failed to uplift the peoples lives and eradicate political violence.?He accused the leaders of the fragile coalition of preoccupying themselves with accumulating material wealth at the expense of the masses.??
He said: Its all about power and positions for themselves. There is nothing in there for you and I.
Makoni also criticised Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who supervises government departments, for failing to stop the abuse of public funds through endless globe trotting by government officials and also failing to influence the scraping of repressive legislation used to deny citizens their basic rights.
Post published in: News