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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe pastor Evan Mawarire 'charged with inciting violence' | Zimbabwe pastor Evan Mawarire 'charged with inciting violence' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Zimbabwean pastor leading a campaign against the government's handling of the economy has reportedly been charged with inciting public violence. | A Zimbabwean pastor leading a campaign against the government's handling of the economy has reportedly been charged with inciting public violence. |
| His own #ThisFlag Twitter campaign feed and the state-run Herald paper tweeted that Evan Mawarire was also being charged with disturbing the peace. | |
| Activists organised a "stay-at-home" protest last Wednesday and planned similar shutdowns this week. | Activists organised a "stay-at-home" protest last Wednesday and planned similar shutdowns this week. |
| It has mostly been organised on social media and WhatsApp using #ThisFlag. | It has mostly been organised on social media and WhatsApp using #ThisFlag. |
| Zimbabwe's economic crisis has worsened recently, leading to a chronic cash shortage and delays paying civil servants. | Zimbabwe's economic crisis has worsened recently, leading to a chronic cash shortage and delays paying civil servants. |
| Pastor Mawarire was summoned for questioning by police ahead of a two-day "stay-at-home" protest called for Wednesday and Thursday. | Pastor Mawarire was summoned for questioning by police ahead of a two-day "stay-at-home" protest called for Wednesday and Thursday. |
| Several hours after he reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday morning, the #ThisFlag Twitter account posted: "Pastor Evan Mawarire is being charged with section 36 for inciting public violence and disturbing peace." | Several hours after he reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday morning, the #ThisFlag Twitter account posted: "Pastor Evan Mawarire is being charged with section 36 for inciting public violence and disturbing peace." |
| It included a video in which the preacher says: "You are watching this video because I have either been arrested or have been abducted. It's a video we had pre-recorded for a day like this one." | It included a video in which the preacher says: "You are watching this video because I have either been arrested or have been abducted. It's a video we had pre-recorded for a day like this one." |
| He ends his message saying that he hopes the shutdowns have been successful. | He ends his message saying that he hopes the shutdowns have been successful. |
| "Hold this government to account. Never let them get away with anything," he says. | "Hold this government to account. Never let them get away with anything," he says. |
| "Remember this flag is our flag, no-one else loves Zimbabwe more than a Zimbabwean." | "Remember this flag is our flag, no-one else loves Zimbabwe more than a Zimbabwean." |
| Import ban anger | |
| According to Zimbabwe's private Newsday newspaper, the pastor turned up at the central police station in the capital, Harare, with a bible and a Zimbabwean flag but without his mobile phone, which is what sources at the station say the CID wants access to. | |
| The authorities have been trying to trace who has been sending out messages about the national shutdown, as several activist groups have been involved. | |
| Last Wednesday's stay away led to a complete shutdown of schools, businesses and shops across the country. | |
| It was the biggest strike action since 2005 and public transport and some government departments, including the courts, also ceased to function. | |
| Last week, taxi drivers complaining about police extortion also clashed with the security forces in parts of Harare. | |
| Civil servants who had not received their June salaries were paid in the wake of the strike. | |
| These have to be paid in foreign currency as Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency in 2009 in order to stem runaway inflation. | |
| There is also anger at a government ban on importing many goods which has been implemented in order to save scarce foreign currency. | |
| But with unemployment at more than 90%, many Zimbabweans rely on cross-border trading to make a living. |