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WE continue to critique the use of children as human shields in the so-called Itai Dzamara protests on Wednesday. Surprisingly, we have not heard the usual noise from the so-called human rights activists, Western embassies that sponsor them and others who jump on the bandwagon condemning anything and everything related to the Government of Zimbabwe, Zanu-PF and President Mugabe.This conspicuous silence has raised eyebrows and reveals that whatever the protesters had hoped for from their grandstanding act did not materialise.
The economic challenges and the donor dependence syndrome bring out all sorts, and we are reminded of what President Mugabe once said about NCA leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku and his begging bowl syndrome, as he described him as an opportunist influenced by the love of money:
“There are some fraudulent human rights campaigners like Lovemore Madhuku and his NCA who, when broke, intentionally provoke the police in order to get arrested and raise money from the donors . . . That’s the Madhuku survival strategy for you,” said President Mugabe.
This is what played out on Wednesday.
By using children in a well-choreographed act where they would innocently present flowers and cakes to riot police, they thought that the police would fall for their trap and beat up the protesters, the children included.
The cameras were rolling as these shameless activists thought that the police would either use teargas or water cannons against them and in so doing accuse police of gassing child protesters, who after all were extending an olive branch.
And how ironic that these children were made to present cakes and flowers — luxuries — in a Zimbabwe these very activists always claim to be in dire straits.
The police should be commended for turning their backs on the attention seekers. That was the best blow in the circumstances.
Patson Dzamara and gang were oblivious of Article 38 of 1989 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which states: “State parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities.”
We salute the members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police who saw that they were being goaded into reacting against the children, thereby being used by people who had an agenda, not of looking for the missing Dzamara, but of getting sponsorship from their foreign funders.
We also commend the police for the wise reaction in a very delicate scenario. In the past they have fallen for these activists’ traps, and in the end gave them unnecessary mileage in their anti-Government campaign.
It is commendable because whoever came up with the grand plan was left with egg on his or her face. The global condemnations these activists hoped for are nowhere to be found, for there are no pictures to circulate on social media that the police teargassed or detained protesters — children included.
What happened on Wednesday was not only reprehensible, but was a criminal act where adults abused children to advance their cause and self-interests.
Adults, including the children’s parents, whose responsibility it is, to safeguard the peace and security of these children, repudiated that responsibility and chose to put them in harm’s way, for anything could have happened, not necessarily from the police, and for that, the law must take its course.
Although the police on Wednesday refused to be used in this shameless anti-Zimbabwe crusade, it does not mean that they should not act against elements bent on disturbing the peace and security of the country.
They police should continue maintaining peace as outlined in their Service Charter, but also use their reaction to these abused children, as a case analysis of how to deal with future grandstanding attempts.
Online Reporter