But Mawarire, who is in South Africa after his arrest last week on charges of inciting public violence, told a South African television station, eNCA, that Zimbabweans loved their country and Mugabe’s statement exhibited his ignorance of the realities citizens were facing. Mugabe came to power in 1980, when Zimbabwe achieved its independence from Britain.
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Yesterday’s threat of violence by Zanu PF youths also comes a day after Mugabe himself roundly denounced Mawarire and other activist church leaders.
Addressing mourners at the burial of former Secretary to the President and Cabinet Charles Utete at National Heroes Acre, Mugabe did not have kind words for Mawarire and warned the people against following “fake” men of the cloth who were bent on instigating violence. On Wednesday, members of the force escorted thousands of youths through Harare to the ruling Zanu-PF party headquarters.
Mugabe on Tuesday criticised Mawarire for the first time publicly by name, urging him and his supporters to leave Zimbabwe if they are unhappy with conditions at home.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has attacked the pastor behind the #ThisFlag mass protest movement that has heavily criticised his government.
Mawarire began #ThisFlag in April with a simple video message of his frustration over corruption and poverty in the country. I don’t know whether they are serving God.
“‘This country can only go forward if Mugabe steps aside because his management of the economy has been a disaster” war veterans national political commissar, Francis Nhando is said to have told the meeting.
But the anti-Mugabe protesters continue to grumble about the country’s economic crisis.
“I would be lying to you if I said I’m not concerned [about my safety]”, Mawarire said.
“I don’t know if he is a man of religion”.
Zimbabwe is now suffering a cash crisis and the government has introduced bond notes, a cash substitute, raising fears of a return to the hyperinflationary era of 2007-08, when the price of bread reached 10 million Zimbabwean dollars.
The Zimbabwean president even said he is not a true preacher and accused him of being sponsored by foreign countries bent on destabilising Zimbabwe, which he often uses to deride his opponents. “Well, we spell God, G.O.D., they spell God in reverse”.
Starting in 2000, the war veterans led the seizures of white-owned commercial farms in what Mugabe said was a reversal of imbalances from the colonial era.
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Zimbabwe will pay July salaries for the army on Monday, more than a week late, but teachers will only receive their wages next month, a union official said, as the government grapples with an acute currency shortage.
