South African opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday issued a response to the fuel protests seen in Zimbabwe, condemning Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government for turning the military on citizens.
EFF says Mnangagwa’s government attempts to calm the situation is something they would expect to see from his predecessor Robert Mugabe. We publish the full statement below:
The EFF extends its solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, who have taken to the streets to protest against the increase in petrol prices. We call on the government of Zimbabwe to respond to these demonstrations with restraint. We particularly condemn the unleashing of military on citizens who are exercising their right to protest.
A democratic government knows too well that militaries are not entities used to respond to protesting, armless, and defenceless citizens. To unleash the military is to treat citizens as enemies of the state, who must be met with excessive violence, force and death, as militaries are death driven, only to be deployed to those who are armed and sworn enemies of the people. Militaries should never ever be used against protests and civil defiance demonstrations actions.
The progressive international community celebrated the fall of Mugabe, with the hope that the era of human rights abuse, associated with his reign in Zimbabwe, will come to an end. President Mnangagwa is therefore consistent with the Mugabe administration in violation of the citizen’s right to protest and civil disobedience.