ZwNews Chief Correspondent
The bumper crowds that the Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa continues to attract at his rallies, is a clear indication that things are not well, months after the elections under normal circumstances, by now people could have given up on election grievances, accept the status quo and start moving on.
The events that are going on in Zimbabwe are not normal, the citizens are stressed up, the economy is unyielding, though that could not be not his will, it is because of this that Chamisa’s political relevance is still continuing.
Chamisa who claims the elections were rigged in favour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is currently contemplating protests until his grievances are resolved.
He says the protests would be peaceful. Basing on how he is still attracting bumper crowds at his meetings, it is likely that his supporters are also ready to go with him on the streets.
However, the government is watching with keen interest as they say. The state is not happy about this, the planned protests being peaceful or not, the government do not care, but will just go ahead suppressing them.
They seem not to want to see people on the streets.
Home Affairs minister Cain Mathema is reported to have issued threats against any protests.
He reportedly said the state has put in place security measures to crash any anti-government protests.
His sentiments come at a time the government is investigating the killing of unarmed civilians by the national army. This is being done through a commission of inquiry set up by President Mnangagwa.
Yesterday, the commission heard evidence from the state arms, that included the police and the military, the two tried to put all the blame on protesters. The police chief Godwin Matanga said the army moved to shoot and kill the people so as to protect Rainbow Towers Hotel, which housed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission command centre.
He also said if the people were not shot fears are that they would have proceeded to State House, according to him the killings were justified.
However, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has lambasted minister Mathema over his alleged comments in the press.
“Threat to unleash the security forces on the protesting citizens is barbaric and has no place in modern Zimbabwe.
“We condemn the minister’s comments as it drives Zimbabwe back to the dark ages of former president Robert Mugabe,” says ZCTU.
The workers’ body adds that the Zimbabwean Constitution gives citizens the right to peacefully demonstrate and urges the minister to withdraw his statements.
