Zimbabwe’s largest opposition party MDC Alliance has found way of mobilising the masses to resist the Zanu PF government. With most towns under surveillance by the army and the police during the lockdown, MDC Alliance leaders in districts are holding secret meetings and mobilising masses during the night. The meetings used to be called ‘pungwe’ during ZImbabwe’s liberation struggle.
Night demonstrations have been successfully staged in Harare and Goromonzi. Some MDC Alliance leaders have been arrested for planning and leading citizens into protesting at night.
MDC Alliance says their Goromonzi South Youth Chair Davison Chamisa and Mashonaland East Provincial executive member Ishmael Jeke have been arrested and are currently detained at Ruwa Police station. The party says they they have been arrested in connection with the Goromonzi Whistle protest that took place last night.
However, a deputy spokesperson of the youth assembly says the pair has been moved from Ruwa to an unknown location. MDC Youth Assembly Deputy Spokesperson Womberai Nhende said, “Our Goromonzi South Youth District Chairman Davison Chamisa is missing in all police stations that he could have been taken to. We were previously told he is at Ruwa police station. Lets raise alarm vanhu vaye vatanga.”
Davison Chamisa was involved in flash demonstrations in Goromonzi a few days ago and a video clip of the incidents were widely shared on social media.
Watch the MDC Alliance Goromonzi night protest video below:
The Night Whistle Protest Resistance
Zimbabweans have also started a ‘Whistling Movement’ in Harare with small groups of people gathering and chanting anti government and anti corruption slogans.
More MDC Alliance night meetings taking place
More meetings are happening across the country. Images of such meetings have been shared on social media, their MDC Alliance Secretary General Gift ‘Ostallos’ Siziba doing much of the work.
Watch one of the night mobilisation video recently shared by Siziba.
The MDC Alliance mass mobilisation program comes as citizens on social media are fighting corruption that has since infected Health Ministry. Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has been leading a drive to expose systematic corruption linked to the First Family. Collins Mnangagwa, President ED Mnangagwa’s son has been linked with a company called Drax that was awarded contracts to the tune of USD 60 million to supply medical equipment. Some of the contracts were later cancelled following the outcry by citizens.
The corruption at the Ministry of Health has been widely condemned by the international community with South African opposition leaders and Western Embassies adding their voices to the anti corruption movement in Zimbabwe.