Mugabe feels pastor power

Cleric Evan Mawarire defies the Zimbabwean president in a growing web campaign, write JUERGEN BAETZ and KRISTIN PALITZA

IT ALL BEGAN with an angry video on Facebook. The clip went viral and sparked a social media movement under the hashtag #ThisFlag. Pastor Evan Mawarire, the man behind the campaign for political change, has become the hope for a new Zimbabwe.

During his 36 years in power, President Robert Mugabe managed to get rid of many political opponents. Zimbabwe’s opposition no longer poses a threat.

But now, seemingly out of nowhere, an apolitical pastor has become one of the 92-year-old autocrat’s biggest challengers.

It all began when Evan Mawarire, a Baptist preacher from the capital, Harare, posted a video on his Facebook account. With the national flag wrapped around his neck, the 39-year-old bitterly complained about the country’s politics and corruption.

Little did he know his outburst would give rise to a nationwide social media campaign with the hashtag #ThisFlag.

Mawarire’s message was simple: “We have got to continue to hold this government to account, concerning the way they handle public funds, concerning justice, concerning corruption, concerning poverty.”

He spoke in English and Shona. “One day, we’ll live in a Zimbabwe of which we can be proud.”

Mawarire was angry and frustrated because he could no longer afford to pay his daughters’ school fees. Zimbabwe’s economy has tanked since an economic crisis in 2000, caused partly by the expropriation of land owned by thousands of white farmers. About 80 percent of the workforce are estimated to be unemployed. Supermarket shelves often remain empty. Only the political elite lead luxurious lives.

Then, a news story broke about the government’s inability to explain the disappearance of $15 billion in diamond trade revenue.

That’s when Mawarire thought “enough is enough”, a phrase that has become the movement’s motto. He vented his anger on Facebook. His argument: If you work hard and still can’t afford to send your children to school, the political system has to change. “We love Zimbabwe too much to watch the country go under,” he said.

The video went viral on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Mawarire’s audience grew rapidly. Thousands changed their profile pictures in solidarity to show themselves with the green, gold, red and black stripes of the Zimbabwean flag.

The bold man with the big glasses and an even bigger smile was suddenly a household name in Zimbabwe – either as a national hero or a traitor.

At first, the government didn’t take him seriously. The campaign was just a “pastor’s fart in the corridors of power,” mocked Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo.

But the pastor’s patriotic, peaceful and witty pleas gained momentum. Mawarire kept the videos coming, every time with the flag around his neck.

Eventually, the #ThisFlag movement took to the streets. Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans went on strike on July 6 in cities and towns, leaving banks, schools, shops and even government offices no choice but to remain closed.

The government shut down WhatsApp and Facebook, but couldn’t prevent the strike from becoming one of the largest in recent years.

The campaign has created “a new sense of urgency among citizens... to deal with social and economic issues,” said Brian Kagora, a Harare independent analyst and lawyer, in a local radio interview.

The ruling party had created not only “a hungry but also an angry” population, Kagora said, adding: “We will see changes.”

Mugabe’s supporters have meanwhile taken strong action against the pastor. He was arrested in mid-July for attempting to overthrow the government.

Mawarire was released due to a technicality. He continued the campaign, even while receiving death threats.

“This flag around your neck can strangle you. And if you carry on like this, it will strangle you,” an anonymous caller told him, the pastor said.

If Mawarire doesn’t stop, he will get “real problems,” Mugabe told his supporters in Harare last week. “We know how to handle our enemies.”

Out of fear for his safety, Mawarire fled to South Africa, where he continues to post videos and call for a peaceful uprising.

Mawarire promises to return to Zimbabwe as soon as he can safely do so, but admits he feels too nervous right now.

Human rights group Amnesty International also warned Mawarire’s life was at risk and urged Zimbabwean authorities to ensure his safety.

With or without him, the movement is strong enough to push for change, Mawarire believes. “They could lock me up, they could kill me, but the citizens of Zimbabwe are coming for their freedom.” – ANA-dpa

Zimbabwean pastor Evan Mawarire continues to post videos and call for a peaceful uprising in his country after fleeing to South Africa.