“Mr President, The People Are Suffering. Proverbs Chapter 21 Verse 13”

Patrick Mugadza, (45) a defiant  Zimbabwean pastor who staged a one man protest at the Zanu PF annual December conference for 2015 and spent almost three weeks in remand prison had  his bail, reduced on Thursday.

Pastor Mugadza’s protest even though a one man demonstration, was prominent as he defiantly held up a placard that read: “Mr President, the people are suffering. Proverbs chapter 21 verse 13” in a town which at that time was flooded by Mugabe’s Zim1  family,  Zanu PF stalwarts and  securocrats, including the ruthless, Central intelligence Organisation (CIO), Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Zanu PF militia.

It came as no surprise when the regime forces swooped down on the ‘man of God’  during Mugabe’s Zanu PF party conference in Victoria Falls in the second week of December 2015 and hauled him before the courts where he was charged with criminal nuisance and slammed with a  US$500 bail by Magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa.

The defiant Pastor Mugadza’s case received further prominence and publicity as it went national and global across the media, while the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) stepped in and managed to fight for his bail to be reduced by the magistrate from US$500 down to US$50. Pastor Mugadza’s application for bail reduction was  filed by his lawyer Thulani Nkala.

After settling his reduced bail, Pastor Mugadza is a free man but will not travel back to  his Kariba  base 500 kilometres away, as he must appear before the courts again in two weeks time.

The brave and defiant Pastor Mugadza was so daring as to stage a  brief hunger strike whilst in the unbearable remand prison conditions, but he adamantly argues that he is a man who stands for the people of Zimbabwe because of his religious standing of being a pastor.

Zimbabwe has seen  some recent lone man protests of defiance to oppressive authority, staged by fearless individuals such as Pastor Mugadza and the abducted and missing journalist/ activist Itai Dzamara who held one man protests at  Harare’s Africa Unity Square.

When all is said and done, absolute defiance to oppressive authority, is everyone’s responsibility. These two men have stood up for what they believe in and given prominence to a people’s cause. These two men did not face persecution for their own selfish beliefs but infact fought for everyone’s democracy, peace, justice, equality and prosperity for all.

To achieve this state of progress for all in the motherland, we all must play our part, whether black, coloured, white, any religion, political opinion or creed, not for ourselves ,but for all our children and future descendants.

One of us has been incarcerated and faces a possible long term jail sentence for telling the truth. “Mr President, the people are suffering. Proverbs chapter 21 verse 13”

I say to you all, Stand up and fight for your rights. Play your part, no matter how small, speak out! Zimbabwe belongs to everyone, not just Mugabe, Zim1 family, Zanu PF stalwarts and securocrats. We cannot be beaten, maimed and murdered as  a way of silencing us. Mugabe and all his Zanu PF must go now! Please share with all your friends worldwide,..thank you! By Sibusiso Ngwenya.

photo-Patrick Mugadza, (45)staging his protest in Victoria Falls