This Flag Movement

Evan Mawarire This Flag Campaign Photo

The ThisFlag movement is a campaign started by Pastor Evan Mawarire that calls on Zimbabweans to carry the country's flag with them as a sign of protest to the government for failing to provide a dignified life to its citizens.

Background

On 20 April 2016, a few days after Zimbabwe's 18 April Independence Day, Pastor Evan posted a video to his Facebook page in which he wore the Zimbabwean flag around his neck and decried the state of the economy and what he felt was government's neglect of its duties to serve the citizens of Zimbabwe. Here's Pastor Evan's full monologue delivered in the video:

This flag
This beautiful flag
They tell that the Green is for the vegetation and for the crops
I don't see any crops in my country
Hanzi the Yellow is for all the minerals, 
Goridhe, diamond, platinum, chrome
I don't know how much of it is left 
I don't know who they sold it to and how much they got for it
The Red, they say that is the blood
The blood that was shed to secure freedom for me
And I'm so thankful for that
I just don't know that if they were here
They that shed their blood 
And saw the way that the country is
That they wouldn't demand that their blood be brought back

This flag

They tell me that the black is for the majority
People like me
And yet for some reason I don't feel like I am a part of it
I look at it sometimes and I wonder
Is this a story of my future 
Or is just a reminder of a sad past
Wherever I go and I put on the colours of Zimbabwe 
They look at me and as if they want to laugh they ask 
'Are you from Zimbabwe?'
Vachiseka

And sometimes when I look at the flag
It's not a reminder of my pride and inspiration
It feels as if I just want to belong to another country

This flag

And so I must look at it again with courage 
And try to remind myself that it is my country
I look at the Green and think to myself 
It is not just vegetation 
But the green represents the power of being able to push through soil
To push past limitations and flourish and grow
That's me
My flag

The Yellow yes is about the minerals 
But not just the minerals that are in the ground
But the minerals above it
You, me 
We are the minerals 
We are the value of this land

The Red,
Yes, it's blood
But not just blood 
It's passionate blood
It is the will survive
It is the resolve to carry on
It is the want to push through to see the dreams come to pass

This flag

And the Black 
The Black is the night sky
That which we emerge from and we shine
It is the brilliant colours
It is the wonderful and lovely fruition of everythinig that we have ever hoped for
It needs a black for it to be visible

This flag

It is my country, 
My Zimbabwe
We go through so much
We don't look like much even now but there is promise in it
I will fight for it
I will live for it and I will stand for it

This is the time
That a change must happen
Quit standing on the sidelines and watching this flag fly
And wishing for a future that you are not at all wanting to get involved in
This flag
Everyday that it flies it's begging for you to get involved
It's begging for you to say something
It's begging for you to cry out
And say why must we be in the situation that we are in

This flag
It's your flag
It's my flag

This flag.

^[1]

The video went viral garnering more than 100,000 views on Facebook, and Zimbabweans identifying with his message posted pictures of themselves wearing the flag around their necks or just carrying it around.

Undenge Must Go Petition

On 13 June 2016, Mawarire invited disgruntled citizens to sign an online petition to force Energy and Power Development minister Samuel Undenge to step down over allegations of mishandling public funds through tender irregularities. In a Facebook post Mawarire said,

"Download ‪#‎UndengeMustGo‬ petition form here. Get your friends and family to sign it, scan it and email it back to thisflagzim@gmail.com"

^[2]

Meeting RBZ Governor

In June 2016, Pastor Mawarire together with other citizens such as Vince Musewe and lawyer Fadzayi Mahere among others, met with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya concerning the introduction of the bond notes. Mawarire gave the opening remarks and reiterated that the citizens did not want the bond notes.

ZimShutDown 2016

This Flag leader posted a video on social media encouraging people to stay at home on Wednesday 6 July 2016 as a means of protest against the government.

References

↑ Evan Mawarire, This Flag, Facebook, Published:9 May 2016, Retrieved:9 May 2016
↑ , Evan Mawarire, Undenge Petition Post, Facebook, published: June 13, 2016, retrieved: June 22, 2016