DEFENCE deputy minister and Zanu PF national commissar
Victor Matemadanda has claimed that the planned July 31 protests against
government were being funded by the West with the intention of spreading the
deadly COVID-19 in the country.
Civic groups and opposition political parties have pegged
the day to protest against corruption and the deteriorating economic situation
in the country under President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF party has admitted that the protests
threatened its hegemony, and vowed to unleash the security forces to thwart any
dissent after awarding salary increments to army and police personnel.
The Zanu PF leader yesterday said he would intensify
COVID-19 lockdown in Harare and Bulawayo because of growing COVID-19
infections, but critics say the lockdown would enable the State to clamp down
on the planned protests.
On Wednesday, Matemadanda told State media that the
protests were a Western project, being bankrolled to the tune of US$300 000 by
the hostile governments so that they have an opportunity to use COVID-19 laced
canisters to spread the virus in the country.
“We know that they (opposition) have been given more than
US$300 000 to sustain the planned demonstration and obviously they are being
encouraged to break the law against COVID-19 regulations,” he said.
“Why this is being done, it is not because people are
concerned about the ordinary people, but they are trying to bring a narrative
first to see how the government is going to react to the demonstrators and
obviously cry about the disregard of human rights.”
Matemadanda, who is also secretary-general for war
veterans, said the West was not happy that the country had recorded few
COVID-19-related deaths.
“Zimbabweans should know that those who are funding these
demonstrations are worried about why COVID-19 has not killed people in
Zimbabwe,” he said.
“And the information that we have got is that they are
trying to get firing of tear gas and we are reliably informed that they also
have some canisters containing COVID-19 active material they hope to spread to
the Zimbabweans. We are reliably informed that they have got a mechanism of
spreading coronavirus which has been brought in by those funding the protests.”
He added: “So, this is what they are trying to do, to
spread coronavirus and then blame the government for not being proactive.” Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment