The AFP {Agence France-Presse. is a French international news agency, one of the world's three largest alongside Reuters and the Associated Press (AP). Despite being French in origin, it operates globally and distributes news in multiple languages. The "AFP" initialism comes from its French name.} have penned an article regarding Tendai Biti's illegal and unconstitutional "Arrest" (or abduction in practice - by the ever vengeful Mnangagwa led mafiosa regime).
Below it was publised in the Nigerian Vanguard! itself no bastion of democracy - as a matter of irony!!
""Tendai Biti, a prominent lawyer and former finance minister, was organising a rally in Mutare, a town on the border with Mozambique, when he was arrested along with activists and journalists, according to the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF).""
“I condemn the arrest and detention this afternoon in Mutare of my long-standing friend, fellow lawyer and former Cabinet Minister Tendai Biti,”
David Coltart, mayor of Bulawayo, the country’s second largest city, posted on social media. “His crime? Speaking out against the Constitutional Amendment.”
A student leader was also taken from a lecture theatre at Chinhoyi University after speaking out against the reform during a meeting held there, the student union Zinasu alleged on Saturday.
Mnangagwa cannot stand for re-election after two terms in office. Designed to extend the end of his term from 2028 to 2030, the proposed reform also calls for the president to be elected by parliament rather than by direct popular vote. Given his support in parliament, there is little doubt that it will be approved by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. But for the opposition, such changes require a referendum.
Aged 83, the “Crocodile”, as he is nicknamed, came to power in 2017 following a coup that enabled the army to oust Robert Mugabe, who had been president for 30 years.
Elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2023, Mnangagwa is accused by his critics of allowing corruption to flourish and of suppressing human rights.
| CORRECTION by ZHRO: Mnangagwa has never been elected in a democratically efficient contest - he is in power by virtue of RIGGING by the very Institutions tasked with carrying out democratic elections - WORSE still is the craven "acceptance" of his illegal government by the so called "International Community" includeng the (supposedly sensitive to "International Law") UK. |
Meanwhile, annual inflation has been near triple digits from 2019 to 2024. Opponents campaigning against constitutional reform told AFP they had been subjected to beatings or intimidation.
Meanwhile in the UK, Tendai Biti's brother - Stanford Biti, made these comments upon learning of this abduction:
@StateDept @UKinZimbabwe @EUinZimbabwe We call on you to condemn the arrest of Tendai Biti, Dylan Cole, Morgan Ncube & @cdfzim members. Targeting civic leaders defending constitutional term limits is a direct assault on #democracy. Silence is complicity. #Zimbabwe #FreeBiti
Additionally - other Tweets CLICK HERE