South African opposition politician, Julius Malema, has called on Zimbabwean youths to take action against the perceived tyranny in their country, saying that they will never achieve their political aspirations without confronting the current system.
Malema’s remarks come amidst a crackdown by the ZANU PF-led government on human rights defenders and pro-democracy campaigners ahead of the SADC Summit scheduled to be held in Harare on August 17th.
Scores of opposition members, civil society leaders, and trade unionists have been detained on what some commentators describe as trumped-up charges.
Delivering a lecture at Rhodes University on Monday, the EFF leader also urged the South African government, SADC, and the African Union to exert pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to enact reforms and respect the rights of Zimbabwean citizens. Said Malema:
The Zimbabwean youths must rise because that nonsense will never come to an end as long as there is no unity of purpose against the tyranny, against the suppression of the political wishes of Zimbabweans.
So, ourselves (South Africa), at the Pan African Parliament, the AU, and SADC, we have to have a political will to speak for the people of Zimbabwe.
When it comes from us, it will have more weight than when it comes from Europe. Why? Because we are brothers and sisters. They will know it’s friendly fire.
But SADC, AU, and South Africa are failing Zimbabwe… And when you ask what is the resolution, no one has taken any resolution.
So you need a clear position from SADC which gives the timelines, that by this time, this should have happened, otherwise Mnangagwa is going to come back and he has nothing to offer at all.
There has been a lot of speculation and discussion about Mnangagwa potentially seeking a third term in office.
Recently, Mnangagwa publicly stated that he does not intend to run for a third term and plans to retire after completing his current term.
However, some political analysts and commentators are sceptical about the sincerity of this pledge.
Malema’s call for Zimbabwean youths to rise against “tyranny” comes after Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane called on South Africa to cut diplomatic ties with the ZANU PF-led government, stating that failure to do so would be akin to enabling “an evil regime that kills and destroys”.
Last week, South Africa’s second-largest political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), urged SADC to move the 44th SADC Summit from Zimbabwe to another country due to the ongoing arrests targetting activists.
More: Pindula News