THE Government is
fully prepared to deal with any form of crime including violent protests and
protect law abiding citizens who are keen to go about their normal day-to-day
business.
The warning comes amid reports that the MDC-Alliance and
some Non-Governmental Organisations were urging citizens to repeat protests
this week in similar fashion to those that rocked the country last week
resulting in wanton destruction of property.
The country’s security services have also sternly warned
organisers of last week’s violent demonstrations against urging their allies to
continue with the destructive plans this week, and has assured members of the
public of adequate security.
Addressing a joint Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) press conference last night, ZDF director of
public relations Colonel Overson Mugwisi said law enforcement agents were ready
to apply the law “without fear or favour”.
“The Zimbabwe Defence Forces and security services have
also noted with concern the misinformation campaign by the organisers of the
recent riots, who are using the media to urge members of the public and
business to continue engaging in the so called “shutdown”, which has led to a
trail of destruction, loss of life and injury to citizens.
“The security services want to reiterate the assurance by
Government that adequate security has been put in place to ensure members of
the public and business go about their activities without hindrance. The
Zimbabwe Defence Forces and security services remain committed to the provision
of safety and security to all members of the public. In the same vein, we want
to warn those bent on causing mayhem that the law will be applied without fear
or favour,” said Colonel Mugwisi.
ZRP spokesperson, Commissioner Charity Charamba, said there
has been an increase in the number of cases of people committing crime,
particularly robberies, while clad in military or police regalia
“Some of these uniforms worn by criminals were seized by
rogue elements during the recent riots in Epworth and Chegutu. A case in point
is a recent arrest of five armed robbers in Epworth, Harare, on 14 January, who
were using police and military regalia to commit armed robberies after hiring
vehicles from car-rental companies.
We are giving an ultimatum to individuals who have retired,
deserted, and absented themselves without official leave (AWOL) from services
to immediately handover uniforms either to the police or the Zimbabwe Defence
Forces. All those who do not comply with this directive will be flushed out by
already deployed members of the security services,” she said.
Last week’s unrest was reportedly hatched at a meeting held
on January 11 in Belvedere, Harare, under the ambit of the Zimbabwe Civil
Society Convergence (ZCSC). In essence, the meeting was meant to coalesce
opposition pressure groups such as Tajamuka, Occupy Africa Unity Square, this
Flag, ZCTU, General Consensus, Citizen Manifesto and Concerned Citizens Agenda
under the umbrella of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC).
Initially, the stay-away – regarded as a euphemism for the
violent protests – was meant to coincide with the dates teachers wanted to hold
their demonstrations. Sources privy to goings on in the civic society grouping,
which has also been inciting civil servants to down tools, said it has since
activated its second phase by launching a petition to AU chair Rwandan
President Paul Kagame to intervene to stop the purported human rights abuses
against “citizens”.
In the petition, CiZC chairperson Richard Mahiya urged the
AU to intervene in the same way they did in DRC after the recent elections,
when it advised the elections management body in that country not to announce
the final results. It is believed that the security agents’ timeous
intervention to blunt the riots foiled the designs of the NGOs, who were buoyed
by a $2 million injection by two Western governments. MDC-Alliance president Mr
Nelson Chamisa – who is easy bedfellows with the NGOs who are doing his bidding
– has even been intimating that the MDC-Alliance has the capacity to take up
arms.
During a press conference in the capital on August 3 last
year, Chamisa said: “We do not believe in violence even if we have the capacity
to resort to arms.” His threats to make the country ungovernable were a running
thread throughout his election campaign rallies before the July 30 harmonised
elections.
In an interview Information, Media and Broadcasting
Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, said any more forms of violence
was an open application to the State to deal with the perpetrators decisively.
She said regime change agents will not succeed.
“We would want to assure people that Government will
protect them from hooligans. Our security forces are on the ground monitoring
the situation and ensuring that the security of the people is guaranteed. We
want to protect our law abiding citizens. As you have witnessed in the past few
days we have arrested a lot of protesters.
This shows that we are committed to ensuring the security
of our citizens. Our security institutions are on the ground and will provide
security,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
The protests, orchestrated by MDC-Alliance and civic
organisations are also aimed at tainting President Mnangagwa’s engagement and
reengagement tour of Europe. In addition, the opposition and its allies is
plotting illegal regime change.
President Mnangagwa has also condemned violence and urged
people to remain calm. Last week, protesters suspected to be MDC-Alliance
hooligans unleashed terror on residents in most cities and towns across the
country barricading roads, terrorising motorists, destroying properties and
looting goods mostly food from supermarkets.
In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal
Affairs Cde Munyaradzai Paul Mangwana said the party has discovered that the
protests were of a political nature hence the party was preparing a political
response.
“What happened last week was clearly a political agenda and
therefore as a party we think there must also be a political response, we will
defend this country in all ways possible. People died during the liberation
struggle and this cannot be tolerated,” he said.
It is estimated that the economy has suffered contagion
economic effects across all the sectors with direct losses estimated to be $800
million. The retail sector alone suffered the most as an estimated $500 million
worth of stock and properties were vandalised. Zimbabwean industries contribute
$100 million daily to gross domestic product, and the terror attacks cost the
country around $300 million directly.
Hundreds of protestors and looters including senior
MDC-Alliance officials such as MPs have since been arrested on allegations of
inciting violence. In Bulawayo alone, 309 were arrested, 110 were arrested in
Mashonaland West, and many others across the country. Police and other security
agencies have stepped up efforts to arrest those that were involved in looting
businesses.
Meanwhile, Government will from tomorrow avail buses that
will charge $1 per trip between various residential suburbs and the Central
Business District in Harare as it steps in to offer relief to commuters.
The move, which also targets other towns and cities, is
part of a broader plan to review the urban mass transport system. The Zimbabwe
United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) will coordinate the new transport system after
it was urgently tasked to manage a fleet of buses that will cover all suburbs
in Harare, and will also extend to other towns and cities.
Briefing journalists in Harare yesterday, Information
Minister Mutsvangwa said the new system will enable passengers use various
forms of payment including cash and plastic money.
“Over the past few weeks, transport fares had risen beyond
the affordability of the commuting public. They were paying as much as $5 for
suburbs within Harare. In line with the Transitional Stabilisation Programme’s
thrust to modernise the entire national transport system in the country,
starting from Monday, 21 January 2019 at 5 am, Government, through the Zimbabwe
United Passenger Company, is launching an urban mass transport system to
complement the existing commuting system.”
Said Minister Mutsvangwa: “The modernisation of the mass
public transport system will ensure low-cost, efficient and professional
service to the commuting public as well as reduce the country’s fuel costs and
decongest the Central Business Districts (CBDs) as buses carry more people
compared to smaller forms of transportation.”
Speaking at the same press conference, Transport and
Infrastructure Development deputy Minister Fortune Chasi said authorities had
made interventions to ensure that there were enough buses to meet demand.
Minister Mutsvangwa said fuel supplies had resumed after
being halted by violent protests, and advised those with fuel coupons to hold
onto them as talks were underway between Government and players in the
petroleum sector to review the discounting of the vouchers. Sunday Mail
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