Cape Town - South Africa must do more to help Zimbabwe improve the lives of its people, according to Pastor Evan Mawarire, the Zimbabwean activist behind the #ThisFlag campaign.
"It's true, we are brothers, and the governments need to talk to each other because if one nation goes to ruin, it's harmful for the whole region," Mawarire said.
"The ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe haven't had help for years. How it has worked in the past and the struggles we have faced as African nations, we have always helped each other. Zimbabwe's government was helped by South African revolutionaries in our struggle for independence, just like our government helped them out too. That is what we are like in Africa."
Mawarire said the democracies of South Africa and Zimbabwe were maturing and the "revolutionary fathers don't see that".
"What we would like is for those revolutionary fathers in a South African context to say to the fathers in a Zimbabwean context we see the situation on your hands as a result of the decisions you have made and seeing how your people suffer, and that is not what you fought for as revolutionaries'.
"This is how we must work together as African brothers because our children are struggling. We see there are Zimbabweans in South Africa now and we know that they are suffering. Is there any way we can assist? Can we intervene? These are the questions we would like the South African government to ask the Zimbabwean government."
But, Mawarire said it would be a tall order, even as he tours the country drumming up support for his cause to help the people of Zimbabwe. He is hoping to take the stories of Zimbabwean people to South African audiences so they can understand the plight of the people. In this way, South Africans, he hopes, will lobby the government to step in and assist Zimbabweans.
He said it appeared there would be no help from the governing ANC.
"Unfortunately, we have been branded by the secretary-general of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, as being funded by the West. That's unfair. When Gwede sees me he should see his brother's son. And that's what makes me sad. He should see me and say, young man, you have come running to me. What's the matter between you and your dad? Can I talk to your dad and try and help you? Tell me your story so that I can go and talk to your dad and see how I can help and intervene'. That is how African families work. We are brothers. Your dad is my dad. And if there is a problem with my dad at home, I must be able to go to my brother's dad and ask for help. But if he closes the door on me, on us, what message does that send me about him and my dad?"
Mawarire said Zimbabwe faces a triple threat of corruption, injustice and poverty.
After his #ThisFlag campaign gained traction, the government cracked down and arrested him last month on trumped up treason charges.
"All we did was ask our government to listen to us. We don't want a regime change. We just want our government to listen."
Mawarire took to social media to air his disillusionment with his country's government.
"The #ThisFlag campaign happened quite by accident while I was sitting in my office. I was trying to scrape together money to pay for school fees. I'd tried borrowing, I tried doing extra work, and I just couldn't find a way. I was upset. I was disillusioned. And that's when I posted some videos and the thing just went viral. It turns out other Zimbabweans are fed up too."
This didn't go down too well with Zimbabwe's government, who Mawarire said wanted to portray an image of the country as one filled with happy citizens.
"If I say to you I am not afraid of going home, I would be lying. The president of the country of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, in the last two weeks, in his last two public speeches, has attacked me. The first comment that was made was that I caused violence, that people like me have no place in Zimbabwe and I must go where my funders are, wherever my funders are. That concerns me. When my president says that about me, an upstanding citizen.
"All I did was to say to my government: 'There's something wrong. Guys, please help us, there's something wrong'. And I've been asked not to come back home.
"In the second speech, he literally said we must not meddle in the politics of the country, and we will rot in jail, and that I will be dealt with. The very next day, over 3 000 young people marched in support of the president's comments and they all said 'down with Mawarire'. That is scary. Everybody knows my address, they know where I stay, because the charge sheet against me was snapped up by social media. I cannot go home unless there's a guarantee of my safety. I have a family I need to take care of and think of.
"As much as I say I am not afraid of the government of this country, I still feel I have a job to do and I want to be able to do so safely."
Cape Argus