ZIMBABWE IS NOT YOUR TUCKSHOP, MNANGAGWA!
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has launched yet another shameless attack on press freedom. This time, it’s Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, who finds herself in the crosshairs of a paranoid and oppressive state. Her so-called crime? Writing the truth. Telling the people what they need to know. And for that, she’s being charged with “undermining the authority of the President.” But we all know this isn’t about law. It’s about fear. It’s about control. It’s about silencing anyone who dares to speak against a crumbling dictatorship.
Civil society activist Obert Masaraure, no stranger to state harassment, has raised his voice in support of Zaba and against the decay that Mnangagwa’s government represents. Masaraure said it clearly and powerfully: “No Mnangagwa! Stop it! Zimbabwe is not your tuckshop!” Those words cut deep. They reflect the truth that many Zimbabweans feel but are too afraid to say. Mnangagwa treats this nation like a personal vending machine, looting its resources while punishing those who dare to speak out.
What this government wants is not peace — it wants silence. It wants a media that claps when it should cry. It wants journalists who cover corruption with compliments. It wants the suffering of the people to go unnoticed while elites enjoy stolen luxury. Mnangagwa does not want to be a president. He wants to be a king, surrounded by praise and protected by fear. But Zimbabwe is not a monarchy. It is a republic built on the blood of freedom fighters who wanted a better life for all.
Masaraure’s words ring loud because they come from someone who has walked through fire. He has been arrested, beaten, harassed — all for standing up. When he says the state is now worse than Rhodesia, it shocks us. But sadly, it is true. We are watching our country slide into darkness, and the time to act is now. Every day we wait, the chains get tighter.
This moment is not just about Faith Zaba. It is about all of us. Today it is her behind bars. Tomorrow, it could be your neighbor, your pastor, your teacher — even your child. If we do not stop this madness now, it will consume everything. We must come together — civil society, churches, trade unions, students, vendors, opposition parties, professionals, mothers, fathers. We must unite and say: Enough is enough!
This is also a message to those working within government buildings, police stations, and courtrooms. You are not robots. You are citizens too. When you are told to oppress, refuse. When you are ordered to silence the people, say no. Because when this system finishes with us, it will come for you too. When justice returns, and it will, your name will either be remembered with honor — or shame.
We must not forget how we got here. In 2017, many of us believed the lies. We clapped for the coup. We hoped for change. But now we see what that change really brought — pain, poverty, propaganda. Mnangagwa fooled a nation. He made promises he never planned to keep. And now, he rules with fear and cruelty.
But just as we rose in 2017, we must rise again — this time, with our eyes wide open. We must rise not to replace one dictator with another, but to rebuild a nation rooted in truth, justice, and freedom. Let the people rise. Let the lies fall. Let Zimbabwe heal. Let Zimbabwe live again. Mnangagwa must go. The time is now.
