MDC says Zimbabwe ‘now a regional security threat’

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, has reportedly said that the country is “fast degenerating into a regional security threat as its economic situation worsens”.

MDC said it had petitioned the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to intervene in bringing the country’s worsening state under control.

MDC spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said that the party would go on a regional offensive to discuss the country’s state with regional leaders.

Mafume also said that the party was planning countrywide protests to allow party supporters a chance to raise their own grievances.

“The party resolved to embark on a series of actions in all towns within the country. We will do demonstrations similar to those that we had in Harare; people outside Harare want to express themselves. This will be done before the Christmas break,” Mafume was quoted as saying.

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched through Harare last month under close surveillance by armed police in the first rally since a deadly crackdown on an election protest in August.

Singing and waving placards denouncing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule, the protesters gathered in the centre of the Zimbabwean capital to hear speeches ahead of a march.

The event, which was held with police approval, was organised by the MDC party, which maintained that it was cheated of victory in the July 30 election, eight months after long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted,

Much of the marchers’ anger was focused on Zimbabwe’s renewed economic problems, with people struggling to cope with dramatic price rises and shortages of essentials like bread, cooking oil and petrol.