Yes its hard to believe but President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party has organised protests against protests.
With growing momentum for the #ThisFlag movement led by Pastor Evan Mawarire, Zanu PF youths responded with their own protest on Wednesday.
Zanu PF deputy youth secretary Kudzanai Chipanga over the weekend warned that the youth league was “waiting for the ‘pro-democracy’ protesters to press the red button before we take action”.
“We promise the nation that we will not stand akimbo when we are under threat. The red button hasn’t been pressed as yet and the day they press it, then they will learn the hard lesson,” he said.
Political commentator Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya says “CONFIRMATION of unemployment by ZANU PF. Such a huge protest by youths during a working day.
“Both ZANU PF and the police are anti-freedom. The protest against protests by ZANU supporters with the acquiescence of the police says it,” Ruhanya said.
On Tuesday Mugabe used the burial of his former chief secretary, Charles Utete, to berate #ThisFlag movement leader, Evan Mawarire, and accuse him of receiving foreign funding to cause unrest in the country, a clear indicator the pastor’s campaigns have rattled him.
“The Mawarires, I don’t even know him, and those who believe in that way of living, well, are not part of us in thinking. They are not part of us as we try to live together.
“If they don’t want to live with us, they should go to those countries sponsoring them. We will say no, forever.
“Find another environment if you are a pastor, I don’t know if he is a man of religion. A man of religion will speak the biblical truth. First Corinthians, what does it say? Love one another,” he said.
“So beware these men of God, not all of them are true preachers of the Bible. I don’t know whether they are serving God, well, we spell God, double G-O-D, they spell God in reverse. You cannot urge people to resort to violence as a way of resolving issues.”
In an interview with CNBC Africa on Monday, Mawarire said President Mugabe was to blame for economic and political crisis in the country and defiantly called for “peaceful protests to hold our government to account”.
“We have tried to follow procedure, but how long have we done that and getting zero results? Proper procedures themselves are corrupt. You have government ministers owning properties and businesses that cannot be explained in terms of value. The Head of State (Mugabe) has to take action,” Mawarire said. Nehanda Radio
