MDC Youths To Stage Protests At Police Camps
Addressing a media conference in Bulawayo on Saturday morning Descent Bajila, the MDC youth assembly secretary general said they were closely following Mzila- Ndlovu,s case and if he is not released by Monday they will visit all police stations around the country to stage protests.
“ If they don’t release him after the weekend we are going to embark on massive protests countrywide whereby all MDC youths will visit every and each police station and also ask to be arrested in solidarity with Minister Mzila- Ndlovu, ”said Bajila.
Bajila said they were shocked that Mzila-Ndlovu was arrested for addressing and organising a Gukurahundi prayer meeting which is part of his job as the National Healing Minister.
“Mzila-Ndlovu was doing his job and we are shocked why they arrested him. The MDC appointed him on that position to work hard and his duties included tackling the Gukurahundi issue. You can’t talk about national healing without talking about Gukurahundi massacres,” the MDC youth leader added.
Mzila Ndlovu is being held in the same camp with Roman Catholic priest Father Marko Mabutho Mkandla who was arrested on Wednesday evening after organising a mass to honour the victims of the Five Brigade.
In 1981, President Robert Mugabe sought the help of the North Koreans to train a special and secretive army unit which he christened “ Gukurahundi.”Its recruits came from the ranks of former Zanla guerrillas from Tongogara Assembly Point.On its formation the then Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo described the brigade as Mugabe,s tribal and personal army unit whose mission was to exterminate ethnic minorities in Matabeleland and some parts of the Midlands provinces.
Human rights groups estimated that 20 000 civillians were murdered by the brigade under the command of a former Zanla cadre, Perrence Shiri, now Zimbabwe,s Air Marshall.