Sources within government said there was panic in the
corridors of power after civic groups under the umbrella Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition (CiZC) called for a protest march today over a punishing transport
crisis that has seen commuters waiting
for transport for hours on end.
This comes after university students, teachers and nurses
on Wednesday jointly called for a potentially crippling national shutdown next
Monday citing worsening economic hardships.
Teachers and nurses are saying like the bulk of employees
in the private sector, they are failing to make ends meet, while university
students are saying the new tuition fees are unaffordable.
Yesterday, police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi said he was unaware of the planned protests, adding that the organisers
had to seek police clearance.
“I am not aware of the purported transport marches or any
protests. Anyone who wants to
engage in any sort of demonstration has to approach the
local police station. As far as I know, there is no transport march planned for
tomorrow (today),” Nyathi said.
In the past, the government has frowned upon protests, and
rudely reacted by deploying armed police and soldiers as well as shutting down
the internet.
Recently, Mnangagwa said protests would not be tolerated,
saying: “If you protest, we will arrest you. Make money.”
However, the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change
(CCC) yesterday put its weight behind the planned transport crisis march, and
the national shutdown in a move likely to escalate the planned demonstrations
into a citizens mass action.
CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said they were in
solidarity with the various groups protesting the rising cost of living.
“The rising public sentiment against the economy,
hyperinflation, eroded wages and mass poverty demonstrates that the citizens
are fed up with Mnangagwa’s failed economic policies,” Mahere said.
She added that 49% of Zimbabweans were living in extreme
poverty in an economy whose annual inflation rate is the highest in the world,
having surpassed Venezuela.
“The people are feeling the pinch … daily and the crisis is
made worse by the broken public services… Everything is broken. It is,
therefore, no surprise that citizens are planning to converge and peacefully
protest in line with fundamental rights enshrined in section 59 of the
Constitution.”
CiZC spokesperson Obert Masaraure said they would lead the
“march against the continued shortage of public transport” as mass public
transporter Zupco was failing to cope with demand after the government outlawed
private commuter omnibuses.
“The CiZC stands firmly behind calls for a public protest
against failure by the government to come up with a proper public
transportation system,” Masaraure said.
“This trend has resulted in commuters being charged
exorbitant fares as some unregistered private players capitalise on the
desperation among commuters while a lot of productive time is being wasted in
long queues.”
In 2021, Zupco announced the procurement of 464 buses and
it also announced that a further 1 000 buses would be imported this year, but
the buses have failed to cope with demand. Newsday
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