Zimbabweans told to be wary of social media

ZIMBABWEANS should not allow social media to shape their opinion of the country since agents of regime change such as MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and his allies were using it to post subversive statement aimed at unseating the elected Government, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said yesterday.

Addressing the Zanu-PF Women's league executive at the party's headquarters in Harare, Minister Mutsvangwa said social media should not be used to influence opinion.

"There is need to monitor the use of social media at all levels since it is being abused by the country's detractors to influence opinion," she said.

She narrated how some mischievous individuals have gone to the extent of creating fake twitter accounts of eminent persons such as the president of the chief's council Chief Fortune Charumbira and Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' leader and her husband Christopher Mutsvangwa and posting tweets denouncing the President, party and Government.

"This infiltration is to cause division among top Government officials," she said.  

Turning to the economy, Minister Mutsvangwa said Government understands and empathises with the hardships people are experiencing. Minister Mutsvangwa urged the women's league executive to be vigilant and guard against economic saboteurs who are wantonly hiking prices so that the public will turn against the Government and effect regime change.  

"The President and the Government are fully aware of the many challenges facing our economy. They arise from decades of gross mismanagement," she said.

"The women's league should be wary of the economic saboteurs who are determining the exchange rate, hiking prices resulting in inflation increasing by almost 100 percent a week. We need to investigate these issues.   

"The Government is putting in place safety nets to protect the vulnerable from the pain of the necessary reforms that we are undertaking. The Government introduced silo shops to provide cheaper products countrywide and cheap Zupco buses to ease transport challenges among other things," said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said Government does not believe in riotous behaviour and wanton destruction of property but was determined to transform people's lives for the better.

"A resilient determination to push through economic reforms is a necessary remedy to our economy and will see us achieve our national goal of being an Upper Middle Income Economy by 2030," she said.

Speaking at the same occasion, the women's league boss, Mabel Chinomona urged the Zanu-PF women's executive to be loyal and protect the interests of the party. She also urged the women's league to be wary of economic saboteurs, who want to cause anarchy in the country.

"President Mnangagwa is working hard to rebuild the economy but this cannot be achieved over night. The country's economy was mismanaged by the previous administration for 37 years.

"The women's league should concentrate on mobilising people to engage in empowerment initiatives. We should make use of the Women's empowerment bank to secure loans for projects to revive the country's economy," said Chinomona.  

She said the mistakes which characterised the previous administration should not be repeated and said the Second Republic has no place for gossip mongers.

"We are aware of some elements within the league who are fanning factionalism.  

"Let me warn you that factionalism is not tolerated in Zanu-PF. The new dispensation requires a results-oriented women's executive.

"How are you hitting the ground running? We do not want people who hit the ground running to spread gossip. The tendency of gossiping in the Women's League, which characterised the previous administration, will not be tolerated," said Chinomona.

She urged the women's league executive to take a leading role in rebuilding the economy.