Zimbabweans stay out of streets as SADC summit kicks off

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By Hopewell Chin’ono

The Zimbabwean dictator Emmerson Mnangagwa has emptied the streets of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, fearing an uprising during the now discredited SADC summit.

Mnangagwa, who embarked on a two-month crackdown against pro-democracy activists, jailing over 100 innocent citizens without bail, fears that people might protest against his corrupt and draconian rule. His ongoing crackdown has been condemned by the United Nations this week after reports of arbitrary arrests, torture, and abuse of the judiciary.

Harare townships are being patrolled by military armored vehicles and police water cannons, and residents have been told to go home by 8 PM following the regime’s order to close shopping centers.

A SADC foreign minister, speaking anonymously to reporters, said today’s meetings were very sombre and subdued.

The minister noted that some regional leaders feel uneasy about publicly engaging with a regime widely condemned for its human rights abuses and anti-democratic practices this week. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia didn’t even turn up for the summit. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa postponed his arrival to tomorrow.

The actions of the Zimbabwean tyrant and his regime in the lead-up to the SADC summit are not only troubling, but also show a deep-seated fear of dissent, criticism, and a blatant disregard for human rights. The decision to empty the streets tonight and deploy military vehicles in the townships clearly indicates the regime’s willingness to use violent force to suppress any potential demonstrations or protests.

This kind of heavy-handed approach is unlikely to win the regime any support among the Zimbabwean people and may, in fact, further alienate and disenfranchise those already suffering under the current economic and political conditions.

It remains to be seen how the SADC summit will play out and whether any progress can be made toward addressing the immediate challenges facing Zimbabwe and the region as a whole. What is certain is that Mnangagwa got the kind of summit he didn’t want, one whose media focus is now on his illegitimacy, corrupt rule and his terrible abuse of human rights.