Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses party supporters during a gathering to honor the country’s dead heroes, at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016.
The commemorations are held annually to honor the southern African country’s dead heroes, particularly those who fought in the 1970s independence war.
Leaders of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, who broke away from the 92-year-old president in July, boycotted the event.
Mugabe used the commemoration rally to criticise continuing protests against him. He warned that “protests don’t pay because they usually end up being violent.
“How does it help to go on the streets just to show that you can throw stones, stoning the police?”
He also accused former unity government prime minister Morgan Tsvangrai, whose opposition Movement for Democratic Change party is involved in the demonstrations, of regime-change ambitions.
“I heard Tsvangirai calling for a coalition as the only way to unseat the government,” he said.
The 92-year-old Zanu-PF president commended the security forces “for the calm that has been, the peace that has been.”
Protests have escalated over the last few weeks following delays of pay for civil servants, nurses, teachers, police and soldiers.
Police used tear gas and batons on protesters last week.
