Enough is enough, says the man behind Zimbabwe’s shutdown

Staff Writer | July 06 2016 | Daily News

WEDNESDAY is about telling the politicians in Zimbabwe that “enough is enough”‚ the man behind the call for the stayaway told a South African audience.

Speaking to Talk Radio 702’s Koketso Sachane‚ Pastor Evan Mawarire said he had started the #ThisFlag movement a month and a half ago to get his countrymen to unite against “rampant and runaway corruption by government and government ministers”.

“We have called for a complete shutdown of the country today in protest of the government that has completely failed to look after its citizenry‚ and failed to listen to the demands of its citizenry‚” he said of Wednesday’s protest.

He also said the government had failed to “deal with injustices and deal with poverty”.

“We just said‚ ‘Enough is enough’. We will take a day out to deliver our message to government for them to know that its citizens were serious about having a Zimbabwe that actually works.

“It has gone on too long‚ gone unchecked for too long‚ the situation has become untenable.”

He said they hoped for “banks to be closed‚ schools to be closed and businesses to be closed‚ everyone to be staying at home” and for there to be no public transport available.

Mawarire said he was wary of a “heavy-handed” response by government, which had opposed the stayaway.

He stressed #ThisFlag was not political‚ nor “a union that has been around for years”‚ but a movement that was started recently and the people of Zimbabwe quickly “identified” with its message.

“We are tired and everyone identifies and agrees to say‚ ‘Enough is enough’‚” Mawarire said.