“Staying away for who?” “Who suffers if you don’t work?” ED Speaks On Stay Away Calls

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the protests which some organizations are calling for are unproductive and only will increase the crises.

Mnangagwa’s sentiments come after a social movement #Tajamuka/Sesijikile announced a national stay away which was scheduled for the 1st of July until the 5th to force the government to reverse Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019 which reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar at the same time banning the use of all foreign currencies on domestic transactions.

He was addressing villagers at Kondo Primary School where he was officially opening the rehabilitated Tanganda-Ngundu Highway. Mnangagwa said:

For those with mobile phones, they were saying today you should stay away, stay away. Stay away yokudii? Muchigara kuitira ani? Anozotambura ndiani kana mukasasevenza? (For those with mobile phones, they were saying today you should stay away, stay away for what? Staying away for who? Who suffers if you don’t work?)

He added that the architects of the protests were criminals working from outside Zimbabwe where they lead luxurious lives.