Deputy defence minister Victor Matemadanda has admitted the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is always ready to thwart public demonstration against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime, sensationally claiming that soldiers “are not trained to feed porridge to the masses.”
Matemadanda who is also the Zanu PF national political commissar warned the main opposition MDC Alliance and other political activists against conducting demonstrations because the state security would descend heavily on them.
Matemadanda made the claims in Chinhoyi on Sunday during the ruling party’s Mashonaland West provincial coordinating committee meeting.
“Do they allow hooligans to burn shops in Britain? The police will use minimum force and if they don’t succeed in dispersing demonstrators it’s fine. But at the company (defence ministry) where l work, they are not trained in using minimum force. Our soldiers are not trained to feed porridge, they defend the country’s territorial integrity. I urge you to run home when you see them coming,” he said.
Matemadanda accused the United Kingdom of working with the main opposition to push a regime change agenda in Zimbabwe.
“You used to say (former President Robert) Mugabe was bad, now ED (Mnangagwa) has opened up, but still Britain attacks us. They must shut up. We’ve no apology to make about liberating ourselves.
“No-one has championed reforms more than President Mnangagwa, as Mugabe never allowed observers (to monitor elections), now they can come freely,” Matemadanda added.
Regardless of gaining power in the ruling party, Matemadanda is attacked by critics as ‘just a taxi driver during the liberation struggle who was no longer relevant in a post-independence Zimbabwe.’
The Zanu PF administration has always been accused of using repression to silence dissent.
In July this year, the convenor of a 31st July protests against corruption in Mnangagwa’s government, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume was arrested together with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono. They were charged with inciting violence.
In January 2019, Zimbabwean security forces used excessive lethal force to crush nationwide protests. This was after Mnangagwa’s sudden announcement of a fuel price increase of 150 percent resulted in three days of demonstrations throughout the country.
On 1 August 2018, soldiers and anti-riot police were implicated in the deaths of at least six people and serious injuries to dozens more during a clampdown on post-election protests in Harare.
Kushaya pfungwa zvakunoita soo
You’re insane oldman
Even vaMugabe vaidarowo inguva mkuru
Kkkkkkkk yaz irough chaiyo
Politics of violence are fueled by ED & Zanu,giving license to the state apparatus to practice violence without fear of prosecution,since this is part of executive lawlessness
It is because of EDiots like Danda rinotemwa that soldiers are abusing people. It is also unfortunate that the moment one joins ZNA marks the end of one’s reasoning capacity.
What else would we expect from EDiot’s Dandahead windie?
Abuse of soldiers their duty is to.protect the country the citizens the same people who protests they must stay away from politics you just foolish danda remunhu
Gavawo zvaro iri.
They can’t even feed us because they are hungry themselves,mind you togara navo mughetto umu
Mxm
Is he equating them with trained dogs?
Stupid words from a foolish idiot.. cruel man ..
Mukanwa munonhuwa
Bumbiro remitemo rinoti basa remawuto nderei
Gatawa
Don’t worry about him he is the biggest fool amoungst fools
Says a tax driver
Benzi
Protestors are not enemy of the state…one.day those soldiers will wake up and and protect masses from you
Trained for Mnangagwa. Rubbish.
Why justifying exactly what made us to be under sanctions
Yibunja lobo …..nalamasosha ahola ama kinat
Defending illegitimate government …. Ha ha ha ha
It was very dangerous for this taxi driver to be in that post as minister of defense.
He was fighting Mugabe uyu same same
Well one day he will get it too.. a taxi driver using his other head for nonsense.. what an ediot..
Uyuwo akashata zvese nemoyo
Old fool…
These guys are disillusioned
They have lost touch with reality. They are living in Disney land of some sort