A former cabinet minister has challenged President Emerson Mnangagwa to respect the voice of protesters and resign the same way his predecessor President Robert Mugabe did in November 2017.
By Tapera Gwezhira
Former Minister of State for Masvingo Province, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti wrote on his twitter that it would be his prayer that President Mnangagwa respects the will of the people and step down.
Bhasikiti said president Mnangagwa must follow the then president Mugabe who resigned after a mass protest in Harare in November 2017 which was called by the war veterans.
“I’m praying for Ngwena (President Mnangagwa) to honor his word. Gushungo had already cleared the path. You just need to follow him since you was his closest ally,” said Bhasikiti.
In a telephone interview, Dr Bhasikiti added: “‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’ is a catchphrase Mnangagwa said in reference to the ousting of Mugabe in 2017. He was saying that since the people had demonstrated against Mugabe, Mugabe was supposed to obey and leave office. Now that people overwhelmingly staged a successful Shutdown in protest against his rule, he should do exactly what his predecessor did, leave office!”
Zimbabweans across the country brought business to a standstill between January 14 and 16 across the country after an announcement by President Mnangagwa that fuel price had gone up by 150 percent.
Reports claim that about eight people died while dozens were injured during the protests which saw many shops looted, property vandalised and public roads being blocked..
Bhasikiti was booted out of ZANU PF party in 2014 together with some cabinet ministers like Joyce Mujuru, Ray Kaukonde and Didymus Mutasa on accusation of trying to topple President Mugabe’s government, a campaign which was spearheaded by Mugabe’s wife Grace.
The group was labelled “gamatox” with Mujuru being it’s leader.
Since then, Bhasikiti who lost the Mwenezi East parliamentary seat under the MDC Alliance banner to ZANU PF’s Joosbi Omar during the July 31st 2018 harmonised election has become a fierce critic of the ruling party.