Since his inauguration, President Mnangagwa has been preaching the gospel of his government being a new dispensation and that the violence and intimidation that was experienced under President Mugabe's regime is now a thing of the past. Contrary to his words however several instances of intimidation and coercion have been reported over the past few weeks. In some areas children have been pulled out of schools and have been forced to attend Zanu PF political rallies whilst in other areas adults have been loaded up in lorries and have been coerced into attending Zanu PF rallies in neighbouring areas. Recently people were captured on a video that was taken at a Zanu PF rally in Bindura fleeing and being pursued and beaten by members of the armed forces. This callousness in stifling the political freedom of people in Zimbabwe is unacceptable.
The Zimbabwe Constitution clearly states that every Zimbabwean citizen has the right to make political choices freely and has the right to be a member of any political party of their choosing and to participate in peaceful political activities organised by their party. If Zimbabwe is indeed a new dispensation then every Zimbabwean citizen should have the freedom to participate or desist from participating in any political activities freely. As we head towards the general elections on the 30th of July 2018 it is imperative that every Zimbabwean citizen be granted their political freedom and be in a position to exercise this freedom to vote for whatever party they choose without the fear of intimidation or reprisal.
