zim flag

Eddie Cross's Website

2024 23 22 21 20 19, 18, 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04-01

Eddie Cross - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

2017 Articles
25 Dec What Next?
22 Dec The Cost
2 Dec Honeymoon
22 Nov After Mugabe
20 Nov Complication
19 Nov Sentiment
18 Nov Update
17 Nov Fast!
9 Nov An Era
25 Oct Ideas
11 Oct SADCOPAC
7 Oct Not Fair
24 Sep Roots
17 Sep The Asylum
8 Sep Blessings
30 Aug Details
26 Aug Economic
16 Aug Rule of Law
10 Aug White water
4 Aug Going on?
31 Jul Trade
15 Jul The Family
11 Jul Migration
6 Jul Saving us
27 Jun 2018 Election
21 Jun Enough
3 Jun What...
27 May Leadership
22 May Corruption
15 May Root Causes
10 May Veterans
2 May Big Power
22 Apr Empowerment
16 Apr Opposition
7 Apr Maize
2 Apr After Magabe
19 Mar Land
12 Mar Devaluing
4 Mar Genocide
27 Feb PowerGame
17 Feb Citizenship
7 Feb At Sea
1 Feb Nationalism
22 Jan Something
15 Jan The Price
5 Jan Changing

Articles:-
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004-01

       

Popular sentiment in Zimbabwe

When Mugabe set his face to the wall and refused to resign, the Team Mnangagwa decided to follow a different route to the same goal. They set about persuading the Zanu PF Party to expel Mugabe and for the Members of Parliament to impeach him next week and thereby kick him into touch. At the same time, they recognised that they had to shield the process from regional intervention by the SADC States and South Africa.

The first step in the latter exercise was the decision to call for demonstrations in Zimbabwe to show that the people of this country overwhelmingly support the military intervention and the removal of this stubborn old man from the seat of Government. The call went out on Thursday and Friday and various organisations responded by organising rallies and marches in the different urban areas of the country.

In Harare I decided to visit all the sites to assess the mood and the response. Well what a day! By midday an estimated one million people had gathered at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfields which has such symbolic significance as the seat of African Nationalism in the Rhodesian era and the site where Robert Mugabe made his first speech after taking power in 1980. It was an extraordinary sight with tens of thousands on roads jammed with traffic in every direction.

In the City itself crowds formed everywhere. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful. Soldiers on duty were hugged, posed for selfies and cheered at every turn. One group even insisted on cleaning their boots!! Flags were everywhere. No police - gone were the feared riot police, no tear gas, no threats, no road blocks. No windows were broken, no cars burnt, no stones thrown.

Even the weather played along. It was dry, cool and overcast, perfect weather for the day and it was like that all over the country. It remained like that right into the night and I think it was a late night for many. It was the same in all Cities, for once this country was at one and everyone had the same message - Mugabe must go, and SADC and South Africa must let us do this thing our own way.

What a day. I do not think many will forget that day and for sure now, the Mugabe era is a closed book and a new day is dawning for our long-suffering people. I was contacted this morning (Sunday) to say Parliament is sitting on Tuesday. You all know what that means.

Eddie Cross
Harare, 19th November 2017