Government speaks on latest internet shutdown

The government has informed the nation that it is not responsible for the latest shutdown on internet services that was experienced on Monday throughout the country.

Deputy government spokesperson Energy Mutodi said they are equally disturbed and affected as government.

"There is an intermittent breakdown of internet services and mobile telephone access today." Mutodi said. "Please take note that government is equally disturbed by the breakdown and we hope normal services will be restored as a matter of urgency."

Mutodi said they are hopeful that Internet Service Providers will address the nation and take responsibility.

"Normally they must have notified the public. Voice calls, electronic banking services, ecocash, messaging and other cellphone functions have been affected. We hope service providers will take responsibility."

In January government ordered ISPs to shutdown internet to stop citizens from organizing protests against the government.

The court had to intervene in making ISPs resume the services. When the court made a ruling, Mutodi said as government they would not hesitate to shut it again because Zimbabweans were primitive.

"The Internet shutdown was not illegal as such. The only issue that arose is that the person (State Security minister Owen Ncube) who ordered the shutdown is not the rightful person to do that," Mutodi said.

"Government can invoke the Interception of Communications Act because that is part of our law. Whenever the need arises, government will invoke that. People can criticise all they want, but that is the law.

"People that say Zimbabwe is modern are mistaken. Zimbabwe still has primitive people with primitive minds who don't understand the meaning of peaceful demonstrations. When people go and loot, cause violence instead of peaceful demonstrations, then is that not a sign that we are still backward."