Share

MDC says Zim 'now a regional security threat'… asks SADC to intervene – report

Zimbabwe's opposition, the 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".

According to NewsDay, the 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.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

"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, AFP reported.

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.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
65% - 488 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
35% - 264 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.01
+1.1%
Rand - Pound
23.79
+0.7%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.8%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.40
+0.7%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+1.2%
Platinum
925.50
+1.5%
Palladium
989.50
-1.5%
Gold
2,331.85
+0.7%
Silver
27.41
+0.9%
Brent Crude
88.02
-0.5%
Top 40
68,437
-0.2%
All Share
74,329
-0.3%
Resource 10
62,119
+2.7%
Industrial 25
102,531
-1.5%
Financial 15
15,802
-0.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE