Mixed feelings over Tsvangirai's planned street protests

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's calls for demonstrations to press the Zanu PF government to act on improving people's lives and fulfilling its election promises have been met with mixed feelings with a section of residents and the MDC Renewal saying such action should not be led by politicians.

Tsvangirai has vowed to participate in the demonstrations leading from the front.

His statement received support from some residents under the Combined Harare Residents' Association and workers who said they would want to join the action to force the government to act.

However, the Harare Residents' Trust (HRT) yesterday said it felt politicians should not lead the demonstrations, but instead, the workers and the residents should.

"Street protests, inspired by politicians, are meaningless to residents. What needs to be understood first are the issues currently affecting the residents and the possible solutions, defined by residents themselves. Power to the people first," HRT said yesterday.

MDC Renewal spokesperson Jacob Mafume said demonstrations should come from the people.

"Demos are organic; they should come from the people. They are not a self-sacrifice issue by politicians. All demos the world over have been started by the people, not politicians," he said.

Tsvangirai and his MDC-T have been calling for mass demonstrations across the country to force the Zanu-PF government to address the economic problems facing the country. Zimbabwe is currently faced with serious economic challenges that the opposition party said were caused by Zanu PF ineptitude after winning the July 2013 harmonised elections.

The MDC-T youth assembly has tried two demos so far, but both of them were crushed by the police.