Harare – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to maintain peace as the country prepares to host the upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit.
Speaking at the National Heroes Acre during the National Heroes Day commemorations, the President thanked citizens for fostering a peaceful environment throughout the nation.
“I take this opportunity to thank all Zimbabweans for maintaining a peaceful environment across the length and breadth of our Motherland. Our brand remains that of a progressive and loving people who are hospitable not only to their kith and kin but to all persons created in the image of the Lord Almighty,” Mnangagwa stated.
The President further encouraged Zimbabweans to extend warmth and hospitality to visitors attending the summit. “Let us all continue to make our visitors feel at home away from home, that we are one with them, and that they shall always be free to visit, whether on business or on private affairs,” he added.
However, the opposition has dismissed the President’s plea as insincere, pointing to ongoing human rights violations that they claim overshadow Mnangagwa’s leadership within the regional bloc. Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson, Promise Mkhwananzi, criticized the President’s remarks, stating, “The peace he refers to does not exist in Zimbabwe. It is a facade. He cannot speak about peace in Zimbabwe after locking up more than 100 innocent people in prison who committed no crime. We had activists who were tortured and are nursing injuries in prison.”
In response to the opposition’s concerns, political analyst and researcher Lazarus Sauti emphasized the importance of peaceful protests. “The opposition, as an alternative voice to the state, should demand transparency, good governance, and transparency from the ruling party. Opposition groupings should exploit available options to lodge their concerns in a peaceful manner,” Sauti noted.
As Zimbabwe prepares to host the SADC Summit, the call for peace remains a contentious issue, with opposing views highlighting the complexities surrounding the nation’s political and human rights landscape.
Source: cite.org.zw