Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa vowed to continue a crackdown on his opponents as he labeled the country’s main opposition party as terrorist, reported The BBC. He promised to uproot all the elements trying to divide the country as pressure mounts on the government to stop human rights violations.
The Mnangagwa government has come under global pressure to stop the arrest, torture and abduction of opposition activists. Dozens of people have been arrested over the past week as they continued to hold an anti-government protest against alleged corruption and the country’s weak economy.
In an address on state television on Tuesday, Mnangagwa accused foreign forces of attempting to destabilize Zimbabwe.
“Those who promote hate will never win,” the 77-year-old leader said. “The bad apples that have attempted to divide our people and to weaken our systems will be flushed out, Good shall triumph over evil.”
Mnangagwa’s statement comes amid growing social media campaign #Zimbabweanlivesmatter, a pressure protest against growing human rights abuses in the country. The global campaign has attracted South African politicians, celebrities, and other public figures from around the world.
The president added that his government, which came into power following the ousting of long-time leader Robert Mugabe in 2017, had faced many attacks including the divisive elements of some opposition elements, the illegal economic sanctions, cyclones, drought and the recent COVID 19 pandemic.
“We will defeat the attack and stop the bleeding of our economy. We will overcome attempts at the destabilisation of our society,” he said.
The coronavirus outbreak has already shattered Zimbabwe’s economy, with inflation rising to more than 700%. The critics have accused Mnangagwa of using COVID-19 as a cover to crack down on dissent.
Zimbabwe has recorded more than 4 000 Covid-19 cases and 80 deaths and health officials say infections will continue to rise for some time.
