Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) stands in solidarity with disgruntled Zimbabweans on the event of the Shutdown Zim campaign set for August 31, 2016.
As an umbrella body of civic society organisations in the country, we are on record that the government ought to listen to the concerns of poverty stricken Zimbabweans and implement measures that will revive the economy and improve livelihoods.
We are concerned that instead of addressing the economic meltdown in the country, the government has resorted to the use of force against unarmed civilians merely seeking to exercise their constitutional right to protest against misgovernance.
So much has been the adamancy on the part of the government that the country has of late witnessed numerous arrests, abductions and torture of opposition and civic society activists who have been labeled as malcontents.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is deeply concerned that instead of addressing the root causes of the economic decline in the country, ruling party officials have shifted their attention to consolidating their continued stay in power through violent means.
The result has been massive human rights abuses and plunder of national resources by political heavyweights while the majority wallows in abject poverty.
Alarmed by the government’s indifference to the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans, CIZC urges citizens to continue with non-violent means of protests as a way of pushing the government to deliver.
We further call upon law enforcement agents to desist from serving partisan interests and respect citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms such as the right to protest, freedom of expression and association.
The use of force against unarmed and innocent civilians can only serve to worsen the already dire situation in Zimbabwe.
