A NEW militant group, Poverty Liberation Movement, was launched in Harare yesterday to effect citizen arrests, strategic boycotts and other punitive actions against cartels and known corrupt individuals in order to fight poverty.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The interim chairperson of the movement’s Harare chapter, Obert Masaraure, told the media that their project would be a holistic movement which would rigorously advocate for opening of the informal economy and demanding immediate disbursement of social security to cater for pensioners, people with disabilities and all other vulnerable groups.
Masaraure said it was not going to be business as usual as they strive to liberate citizens from the jaws of poverty.
“We want to make it clear that our fight against poverty is a daily struggle which requires us to be vigilant each day,” he said.
“Our immediate task at the moment is to reclaim the voices of the poor, to tell their stories. We want to take the fight to the drivers of poverty and push for accountability through non-violent actions targeting various entities responsible for poverty.”
Masaraure said they were also demanding payment of all workers in United States dollars, a zero fees payment regime for all learners in Zimbabwe and data provision for those undertaking online lessons.
“Liberation starts with the mind and when we have liberated the mind, breaking of chains becomes a simple task,” he said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“We want to effect citizen’s arrest, strategic boycotts and other peaceful but punitive actions against known cartels and corrupt individuals.”
Masaraure said the movement’s constituents included trade unions, student movements, informal trader’s organisations, youth organisations, social movements and professional bodies and have a common agenda to fight poverty.
Social right activist Pride Mkono, who is the spokesperson of the movement, said going forward, they would tighten screws around cartels that corrupt government officials.
He said the movement had five clusters which they wanted to address, namely equity, governance and democracy, informal economy, labour, economics, social services, climate change and sustainability.
