MDC-T activists in the Diaspora have announced that starting today, their 21st Free Zimbabwe Global Campaign protest marches will be targeted at Zambian embassies instead of South African consulates.
One of the organisers of the protests, United States-based Den Moyo, told NewsDay yesterday they were happy with the way South African President Jacob Zuma was handling the Zimbabwean crisis, but were angered by Zambian President Michael Sata’s stance on the same issue.
Moyo said at the end of the Sadc Troika on Defence and Security Summit in Luanda, Angola, two weeks ago, the MDC-T felt there was need to thank Zuma for “unambiguously declaring that there will be no elections in Zimbabwe without reforms”.
“To our greatest disappointment, Sata has now become a self-appointed spokesman and gatekeeper for not only Zanu PF but those who work daily to crush democratic voices in Zimbabwe,” Moyo said.
“The protests will be held under the theme “Thank you Sadc, Thank you President Zuma”.
The MDC-T activists have since January this year staged demonstrations at South African embassies worldwide to press the Sadc-appointed facilitator to pressurise President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF party to implement key electoral reforms before the country goes to the polls.
Moyo said the protests starting at the Zambian embassies today would seek to show discontent on “the irresponsible and inflammatory remarks” of the Zambian leader.
“Most recently, your president reportedly shouted Zanu PF slogans at the Sadc Summit in Luanda despite the fact that Zambia is part of the Troika, hence must adopt a neutral position in helping Zimbabweans find each other during this most difficult time,” Moyo said. “President Sata’s uninformed or biased views on our political dynamics are a major concern. We hope he will start acting and behaving like a real statesman and desist from making unpresidential inferences in future.” In April, Sata drew the ire of the two main MDCs after he chanted Zanu PF slogans during a keynote address at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.
