Secretary-general of the Amalgamated Rural Teacher’s Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Robson Chere had a sad story to tell. On that might be very reflective of the limitations on the so-called freedom of speech and expression that prevail in this democratic nation of ours.
The trade unionist was visiting a friend when he says four men approached him and tried to force him into an IST white Toyota vehicle. Unfortunately, he says he was unable to see the car’s number plates as its back lights were off.
Chere claims he managed to escape when his hysterical cries were heard by a security guard, storekeeper and some locals. He had this to say:
“I then went to a friend’s place where i slept in the bathroom fearing that the state agents were still pursuing my whereabouts and would return to abduct me.
In the afternoon I reported the matter to the police, whose RB case number I’m yet to be given”
This alleged occurrence was, according to Chere, not the first of its kind. He told the media that he had been “abducted several times before” by means of the same “modus operandi.”
A famous classic by Euripides, The Phoenician Women, has a quote that goes,
“This is slavery, not to speak one’s thoughts”
Should the alleged occurrence and all other similar ones be true, would the above quote not allude perfectly to the meaning of “freedom of expression and speech” in the context of Zimbabwe.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
Let us know in the comments below.