Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) youths on Wednesday begged the United Nations (UN) to intervene in Zimbabwe to protect them from alleged persecution by the government.
MRP accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of persecuting its members.
In March this year, Mnangagwa threatened to “shorten” the lives of MRP activists while addressing a ZANU PF rally in Chitungwiza.
Later in Gweru, the President described MRP as a “bunch of people possessed by Biblical demon Legion”.
Addressing journalists during a Press conference in Bulawayo, MRP youth league member Mudenda Chilumbo, said:
We demand the prosecution of living perpetrators of the Gukurahundi genocide by the intervention of the Criminal Court of Justice.
This will avert the barbaric systematic torture of people, especially Mthwakazi activists.
The perpetrators include Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and Sydney Sekeramai, among others.
As MRP we believe that organisations like the UN have a possible provision in their charter to deal with the gross human rights abuses.
It should be known that our Mthwakazi people are ill-treated and justice should be done to avert future injustices.
Chilumbo cited several incidences where Mnangagwa made threats against the Mthwakazi Republic Party. Chilumbo said:
We are disgruntled against the laws that are put in place to suppress our party. This follows the utterances that were made by Mnangagwa on March 23, when he was addressing a rally in Chitungwiza and he said he will shorten the lives of Mthwakazi activists.
Again on 23 June, when he was addressing locals at Bata Company in Gweru, he referred to Mthwakazi activists as possessed by a demon.
In Marondera, he repeated his threats through the prosecution of our members leading to the sentencing of MRP members to three years each.
He also demanded the release of the MRP9, that is, Welcome Moyo, Mongameli Xukuthwayo, Sibongile Mlotshwa, Latifa Banda, Busi Moyo, Livson Ncube, Nkosilathi Ncube, Maxwell Nkosi, Tinnos Nkomo and Ackim Ndebele who were jailed a combined 25 years.
Chilumbo alleged Bulawayo magistrate Tavengwa Sangster was under instruction from President Mnangagwa when he convicted the MRP activists.
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