By Lloyd Takawira
As the political situation in the country has been simmering towards the deepest edge , the government has been roundly condemned for a plethora of rights abuses
Social media especially tweeter has been bombarded with the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter which has so far generated a whopping 400 000 tweets as people protests against the ills bedevilling this country.
Zimbabwe has made international headlines for human rights abuse which includes, arrests of civilians, abductions, torture and beatings and threats which have seen growing call for the Emmerson Mnangagwa step down.
Rugby world cup champion Tendai Mtawarira Monday joined a growing list of public figures speaking out against President Mnangagwa’s government under the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter .
The “Beast” wrote “My prayers this weekend have been with those that have been tortured and arrested in the intended peaceful protests back home. Constitutional rights should not be criminalized!! #FreeZimbabweans Flag of Zimbabwe,”
Economic Freedom Fighters Leader Julia’s Malema , threatened to shut down the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa if the government doesn’t work on human rights violations
Former leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) political party Mmusi Maimane, South African rapper Kiernan Jarryd Forbes (AKA), South African singer-songwriter Khaya Mthethwa and South African Hiphop artist Thato Madonsela (L-Tido) have so far spoke against the government ills
Maimane said , ” The attacks on black lives in our neighbourhood need global solidarity. A burning topic right now is the arrests of journalists and activists in Zimbabwe,”
South African Khaya Mtetwa tweeted “#ZimbabweanLivesMatter I am disgusted at how Africans treat Africans! How can we ever be respected if we can’t respect our own!
Barry Roux tweeted “Zimbabweans are suffering because of failed leadership, corruption, bad governance. Only true REFORMS and a return to DEMOCRACY will fix Zimbabwe’s woes. The rest is mere propaganda and a hopeless waste of time, effort and money. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter #prayforZimbabwe
Lebo Ramakgopa tweeted
We truly cannot ignore what’s happening to our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. The police brutality and evil taking place there just cannot be ignored. #PrayforZimbabwe #FreeZimbabwe #ZimbabweanLivesMatter
The rebuke follows a spate of arrest and abductions and other rights violations that the government has been accused of pepetrating innocent civilians under the cover of thwarting protests .
The government has also accused dissenting voices of being “terrorists” bent on overthrowing the government .
