Activist Arrested For Calling On UN To Intervene In Zimbabwe Crisis

Posted by Daniel Jones African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Around Africa Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A Zimbabwean civic activist has been taken to court for allegedly making ‘false’ statements against the State after he made citizens to sign a petition calling on the United Nations to intervene in the Zimbabwean crisis.

The Zimbabwean government has maintained that there is no crisis in the country despite deepening economic and political crunch characterized by arrests and torture of citizens, including opposition politicians, civic activists and journalists.

The President Mnangagwa led government has instead said the crisis was only in the minds of opposition political parties and those pushing for a regime change agenda on social media.

Simasimpe Reeds Tshuma aged 25 becomes the latest victim of government ruthlessness.

Tshuma, who resides in Victoria Falls, is a member of the pressure group Zimbabwe People Power Movement which has been fighting for citizens’ rights.

Tshuma appeared before magistrates’ court in Hwange where he was charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state.

The magistrate released him on Z$5 000 and remanded him to October 25.

According to state prosecutors, the accused received a bunch of petition documents from ZPPM in August which he was supposed to use to get people’s signatures calling on the United Nations and its member states, sister states and other world leaders to consider declaring the state of affairs in Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe a humanitarian disaster.

The prosecutors allege that ZPPM and its members started the drive in June through WhatsApp platform where they discussed the economic situation in Zimbabwe which they said was a catastrophic challenge that needed urgent help or intervention of the United Nations.

“On 12 September the accused left Victoria Falls going to Dete to distribute the petitions. He had collected 600 signatures when he was arrested by police,” said the prosecutor John Chisango.

A Zanu-PF councillor tipped police leading to Tshuma’s arrest.

According to the ZPPM petition, more than eight million Zimbabweans are in dire need of urgent food and humanitarian support as the country faces the brink of catastrophic disaster.

It further alleges that Zimbabweans urgently need food, medicines and international aid to help recover from the effects of this devastating situation.