Zimbabwean Students To Launch Protest Over Corruption Of Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF Government
Zimbabwean students are planning several protests countrywide over the corruption of President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF government. In the meantime, a police officer has been arrested for accusing Mugabe of being “too old to rule” and adding that his wife Grace is a prostitute.
Students in Zimbabwe are planning to stage demonstrations at all the southern African country’s institutions of higher learning in protest over the government’s continued corruption.
The students plan to protest under the banner of the Zimbabwe National Students Union, saying in a statement on Tuesday that President Robert Mugabe and his cabinet are a group of corrupt thieves and accusing them of plundering all of Zimbabwe’s resources, including diamonds.
According to a report in the Independent Online, the Zimbabwean students said decisions being made by the current government in the country are a liability for students and youth in general in the country.
In their statement, the Zimbabwe National Students Union said: “As a means to ensure that the government takes care of our needs and stops prioritizing corruption over education, ZINASU will lead a national day of action across campuses as a means to knock on the doors of conscience of the chancellor President Robert Mugabe.”
Referring to the “disappearance” of US$15 billion in diamond money, the Zimbabwean students said this is just one example of Zimbabwe’s “pathetic and failed state, presided over by thieves, robbers masquerading as a president and cabinet. In fact, it is the glory of Robert Mugabe’s over three-decade long presidency.”
Bob, cabinet a ‘group of corrupt thieves’: Zimbabwe’s students union threatened to stage demonstrations across… https://t.co/YwzzE93TUS
— South Africa Links (@dlSouthAfrican) March 9, 2016
According to the students’ union, it is disturbing that the Zimbabwe’s government can fail to account for money that constituted four times more than the country’s budget, adding that the Ministry of Finance should never have committed a large amount of money to the security sector when that sector cannot even guard the country’s natural resources.
The Zimbabwe National Students Union went on to say that Mugabe’s Zanu PF government had implemented “toxic policies” which had the effect of eroding all the gains of the country’s independence, leaving Zimbabwe’s citizens as economic slaves.
In their statement, the Zimbabwean students said that modern day slaves are not in chains, but are in debt, adding that “Zimbabwe is extremely in debt.” They referred to the clandestine hostile takeover of companies in the country, along with the sale of blood diamonds and the murder of civilians attempting to seek livelihoods in the country’s resource rich areas. They say this is the result of the government using “short term contestation of power and habitual externalization” of the country’s minerals, with long-term destructive results.
The Zimbabwean students also accused the university authorities of funding Robert Mugabe’s recent $800,000 birthday party at a time when many residents of the drought-stricken country are going hungry.
The #ZINASU has attacked university authorities for allegedly funding #Mugabe‘s birthday bash. – https://t.co/8dcOeygF4P #GoogleAlerts
— Daniel Mulaudzi (@Daniel_Mulaudzi) March 1, 2016
In the meantime, while Zimbabwean students are making their voices heard against the Zimbabwe government, other citizens have had enough, too. A police officer is in trouble for insulting both President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace. Thompson Joseph Mloyi, 44, reportedly said 92-year-old Mugabe is “too old to rule” and accused his wife Grace Mugabe of being a prostitute.
Mloyi reportedly didn’t enter a plea at the magistrate’s court in Harare over the remarks, which were allegedly made at a camp shared by the police and army in Zimbabwe. He was granted $100 bail at Tuesday’s hearing and is heading for trial on March 15 on a charge of “insulting the office of the president”.
Citing prosecution papers, NewsDay said in their report on the story, “Without provocation, the accused started shouting, indicating that President Robert Mugabe is too old to rule and (that) he married a prostitute, Grace Mugabe.”
Criticisms against the Zimbabwean president and his wife are reportedly common in the country, whether by police officers or Zimbabwean students. During his recent 92nd birthday speech, Mugabe reportedly lashed out at youth in his own political party who were using social media to insult his wife.
[Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]
