BULAWAYO, Aug. 5 (NewsDay Live) – South African civic organisation Ayikhale Movement says it is preparing to pursue legal action against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government at the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging human rights violations arising from Zimbabwe’s recent political crackdown.
The announcement was made during a solidarity demonstration outside the Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria on Friday, where South African activists and Zimbabweans in the diaspora condemned the government’s handling of recent events and called for democratic reforms and respect for the Constitution.
Ayikhale Movement national organiser Ronald Gudomunyayi said lawyers had already been instructed to begin preparing the case.
“I have already briefed my lawyer. This has been done already. We are going to take the government of Mnangagwa to the International Criminal Court. This is a decision that we’ve already taken. Whatever happened today in Zimbabwe is just going to strengthen our case in taking the government of Zimbabwe to the ICC,” he said.
Gudomunyayi accused regional leaders of shielding one another from accountability, arguing that Zimbabwe’s leadership should face the same scrutiny as other African leaders accused of wrongdoing.
“It can’t be that President Ramaphosa can be held accountable with Phala Phala, but Mnangagwa can’t be held accountable. There’s nothing special about Mnangagwa,” he said.
He said the movement would continue supporting Zimbabweans pushing for democratic change.
“We are going to ensure that a democratic state is ushered into Zimbabwe with our solidarity. The revolution that is unfolding in Zimbabwe is going to go from Cape to Cairo, and this has to happen with the solidarity of South Africans and Zimbabweans in the diaspora,” he said.
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Gudomunyayi also reiterated the group’s opposition to Constitutional Amendment Act No. 6 of 2026, formerly Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, and called for full implementation of Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
“As the Ayikhale Movement, we hear the plight of the people of Zimbabwe. No to Constitutional Amendment Act No. 6. We are demanding the implementation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Meanwhile, South African political party March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma criticised what she described as a poor turnout by Zimbabweans at the Pretoria demonstration, arguing that their absence suggested they were satisfied with the political situation in their country.
In a post on X after the protest, Ngobese-Zuma thanked her supporters for attending but questioned the lack of participation by Zimbabweans.
“Thank you to those of our members who showed up at the Zimbabwean Embassy… I’m so sorry Bhekimpilo Mbedzi, we showed up for you and the people of Zimbabwe but your people didn’t,” she wrote.
She added: “If Zimbabweans as a collective didn’t protest it means they are happy with their government, therefore they must go back and enjoy their government.”
Ngobese-Zuma also renewed her opposition to undocumented Zimbabwean migrants remaining in South Africa and called for the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) programme to be scrapped.
“Illegal Zimbabweans must go. No documents must be given to Zimbabweans… ZEPs must go. South Africa is for South Africans,” she said.
Her remarks come amid renewed debate over Zimbabwe’s political situation and continued tensions in South Africa over immigration and the future of the ZEP system, which allows thousands of Zimbabweans to live and work legally in the country.
The comments drew mixed reactions on social media, with some users backing her position while others accused her of promoting anti-immigrant sentiment.
Back in Zimbabwe, Sungano yeVanhu–Ubumbano Lomphakathi (The People’s Coalition) said preliminary observations suggested many Zimbabweans participated in Friday’s nationwide stay-away as a peaceful protest against Constitutional Amendment Act No. 6 of 2026.
In a statement, coalition spokesperson Jacob Ngarivhume said the group had observed reduced activity in several parts of the country while continuing to monitor developments.
Among its observations were lighter traffic and congestion in central business districts, increased police deployments in urban centres, the absence of vendors at Harare’s Freedom Square where police and water cannons had been deployed, and reports of reduced school attendance in some areas.
The coalition also said magistrates’ courts had reportedly issued an unusually high number of warrants of arrest after accused persons failed to appear in court, attributing many absences to transport disruptions.
“The indications so far suggest that many Zimbabweans have chosen to stay away as a peaceful expression of their views on Constitutional Amendment Act No. 6 of 2026,” Ngarivhume said.
He commended citizens for maintaining peace during the stay-away.
“Sungano yeVanhu–Ubumbano Lomphakathi commends all citizens who continue to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly. We reiterate our call for calm, non-violence and strict adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law as the nation continues its Constitutional Restoration Campaign.”
The coalition said it would continue monitoring developments across the country.
