Government threatens to unleash army and police again

The government has threatened to unleash the army and police on citizens who will take part in anticipated MDC Alliance led nationwide demonstration against unsustainable living conditions in the country this week.

At a provincial MDC youth executive meeting in Msasa Harare last week, members agreed to mobilise the masses to demonstrate against ever increasing prices, fuel shortages, availability of electricity for only about 10 hours a day at night countrywide, lack of medicines in hospitals, breakdown of services to the populace and escalating government expenditure on luxury planes and expensive medication overseas.

In a statement, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema ordered Commissioner General Godwin Matanga to ensure police are out in enough force and number to quell insurgency.

He said the police and other security services had a mandate to ensure there was law and order in the country.

"Anyone who engages in intimidation, incitement, threats or violence will only have themselves to blame.

"My Ministry has directed the Commissioner General of Police (Godwin Matanga) to ensure that officers are on high alert and ready to deal with any acts of violence or destruction of property. We appeal to all peace loving Zimbabweans to ignore these calls for demonstrations which are detrimental to the socio economic development of thrust of the government," said Mathema.

He accused the MDC of working with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to destabilise the country.

The ZCTU's 18 labour affiliates recently met and resolved to protest against "the worsening economic environment in the country."  

It would not be the first time that Mnangagwa has set armed soldiers upon Zimbabweans in the in post-coup era.

On August 1 2018, the army fired live bullets at civilians in Harare who were protesting against results for that year's harmonised elections which they felt Mnangagwa had rigged to beat MDC'S Nelson Chamisa.

Six people died and about 35 were injured.

The government and the army denied shooting anyone and said the soldiers fired at 45 degree angles despite numerous videos and pictures showing soldiers shooting into the backs of fleeing demonstrators.    

During the January 14, 2019 protests, soldiers brutalised hundreds of civilians and the government turned a blind eye.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has since the November 2017 coup, which unseated Robert Mugabe, failed to deliver on a plethora of promises that include better living for citizens, lower prices of goods, lower inflation, assured constant power and abundantly accessible and affordable fuel.

At the time of the coup, the government promised that things would change for the better in 100 days.

However, prices of goods shot up by more than 100 percent and fuel shortages started.

Without explaining the failure to deliver in the first 100 days, the government went on to declare things would be better in an additional 100 days.

In that period, motorists started spending up to a week in fuel queues and prices of basic commodities increased by at least 300 percent while salaries remained unchanged from the days before the coup.

President Mnangagwa and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube asked to be judged after six months and the situation had deteriorated even further then.

Again, without explaining the failure, the government moved on to the next promise through Minister Ncube.

"Austerity will bear fruits within a year... Enough fuel to last two years... Cheaper goods by April 2019... Cheaper goods by July 2019..." read some of the promises that Mnangagwa's administration has dismally failed to fulfill.

The president and his deputies have been accused of being cruel and insensitive by chartering planes for millions of US$ to fly abroad for treatment whenever they feel below the weather- money that could be used to equip the country's hospitals and get them running again