News / National
Regime change stooges shamed, claims Chronicle
07 Jul 2016 at 07:18hrs | Views
MERCHANTS of regime change yesterday tried to hijack the civil servants strike in an effort to create the false impression that people have turned against their Government, analysts said.
The civil servants gave notice for a collective job action over salary disagreements with the government but were clear that their programme was not political and therefore did not share the same agenda with subversive elements who were calling for a "shut down" of the country.
Despite threats of violence, businesses and transport operators in Bulawayo largely ignored the "shut down" calls with major supermarkets and banks opening for business.
It was only after a few rowdy elements started burning tyres in the middle of the road in Makokoba suburb that some shops closed around 3pm not in solidarity with the #Tajamuka and their allies but in fear of violence.
The fear was further heightened by the spread of reports that a man had been arrested the previous night after he was found in possession of grenades, allegedly intended for use yesterday.
Political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva said it was telling that the regime change proponents sought to associate themselves with the civil servants strike.
"In any democratic society people are free to express their contradictions but in this case you can't ignore the attempt to hijack the civil servants strike by some elements who want to claim credit for what they did not organise," he said.
Mr Mahomva said the country is facing economic challenges and any attempt to disturb the smooth flow of business was an attack on the national economy.
Another political analyst Mr Stevenson Dhlamini said: "They have made a strategic move to manipulate the civil servants' job action to give the false impression that they are the ones who orchestrated it".
"The truth, however, is that the civil servants' strike is not in any way related to the calls for a shut down. It was not orchestrated by those anti-government protestors. Those ones are yet to be felt and their influence is yet to be measured."
Affirmative Action Group Matabeleland Regional president Mr Reginald Shoko said the so called shut down would not achieve any positive results for the nation.
"Actions like stayaways don't take us anywhere. Internally we frustrate the business in the country and externally it frustrates potential investors," he said.
"Money comes through transactions and productivity. Time cannot be stored like umfushwa, the day has gone and money has been lost because some businesses didn't open. There are productive ways of building the economy and not such activities.
"We breed and give criminal elements an opportunity to disturb peace and loot other people's property with such actions."
The opposition has come to the defence of hooligans who engaged in violent demonstrations in Harare on Monday and Beitbridge last Friday that saw the torching of a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority warehouse.
The MDC-T, in a hastily arranged press conference on Monday threw their weight behind hoodlums engaged in violent protests in Epworth and Mabvuku.
Zimbabwe People First leader Dr Joice Mujuru yesterday defended the "shut down" proponents saying it was their right to demonstrate.
However, Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for administration Cde Nacisio Makhulumo said the so called "shut down" dismally failed in the city as the people ignored calls to revolt against the government.
"These elements must know that Zanu-PF is a liberation movement that has withstood a number of tests and won't be cowed by western-funded machinations," he said.
"Bulawayo was peaceful and those people who did not either report for work or did not open their business feared for their property from vandalism by rowdy looters. It doesn't mean they were in solidarity with these subversive elements."
Cde Makhulumo said President Mugabe and Zanu PF won the 2013 elections with a landslide victory.
"The majority of Zimbabweans are behind President- Mugabe and Zanu-PF. We have seen that Joice Mujuru and other opposition parties have come out in support of this anarchy, this betrays their regime change agenda," said Cde Makhulumo.
"However, this will fail the same way the stayaways of 1998 failed. If they have confidence that they have the support of the people, they must wait for the 2018 elections and contest and not seek to subvert a democratically elected government."
The civil servants gave notice for a collective job action over salary disagreements with the government but were clear that their programme was not political and therefore did not share the same agenda with subversive elements who were calling for a "shut down" of the country.
Despite threats of violence, businesses and transport operators in Bulawayo largely ignored the "shut down" calls with major supermarkets and banks opening for business.
It was only after a few rowdy elements started burning tyres in the middle of the road in Makokoba suburb that some shops closed around 3pm not in solidarity with the #Tajamuka and their allies but in fear of violence.
The fear was further heightened by the spread of reports that a man had been arrested the previous night after he was found in possession of grenades, allegedly intended for use yesterday.
Political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva said it was telling that the regime change proponents sought to associate themselves with the civil servants strike.
"In any democratic society people are free to express their contradictions but in this case you can't ignore the attempt to hijack the civil servants strike by some elements who want to claim credit for what they did not organise," he said.
Mr Mahomva said the country is facing economic challenges and any attempt to disturb the smooth flow of business was an attack on the national economy.
Another political analyst Mr Stevenson Dhlamini said: "They have made a strategic move to manipulate the civil servants' job action to give the false impression that they are the ones who orchestrated it".
"The truth, however, is that the civil servants' strike is not in any way related to the calls for a shut down. It was not orchestrated by those anti-government protestors. Those ones are yet to be felt and their influence is yet to be measured."
Affirmative Action Group Matabeleland Regional president Mr Reginald Shoko said the so called shut down would not achieve any positive results for the nation.
"Actions like stayaways don't take us anywhere. Internally we frustrate the business in the country and externally it frustrates potential investors," he said.
"Money comes through transactions and productivity. Time cannot be stored like umfushwa, the day has gone and money has been lost because some businesses didn't open. There are productive ways of building the economy and not such activities.
"We breed and give criminal elements an opportunity to disturb peace and loot other people's property with such actions."
The opposition has come to the defence of hooligans who engaged in violent demonstrations in Harare on Monday and Beitbridge last Friday that saw the torching of a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority warehouse.
The MDC-T, in a hastily arranged press conference on Monday threw their weight behind hoodlums engaged in violent protests in Epworth and Mabvuku.
Zimbabwe People First leader Dr Joice Mujuru yesterday defended the "shut down" proponents saying it was their right to demonstrate.
However, Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for administration Cde Nacisio Makhulumo said the so called "shut down" dismally failed in the city as the people ignored calls to revolt against the government.
"These elements must know that Zanu-PF is a liberation movement that has withstood a number of tests and won't be cowed by western-funded machinations," he said.
"Bulawayo was peaceful and those people who did not either report for work or did not open their business feared for their property from vandalism by rowdy looters. It doesn't mean they were in solidarity with these subversive elements."
Cde Makhulumo said President Mugabe and Zanu PF won the 2013 elections with a landslide victory.
"The majority of Zimbabweans are behind President- Mugabe and Zanu-PF. We have seen that Joice Mujuru and other opposition parties have come out in support of this anarchy, this betrays their regime change agenda," said Cde Makhulumo.
"However, this will fail the same way the stayaways of 1998 failed. If they have confidence that they have the support of the people, they must wait for the 2018 elections and contest and not seek to subvert a democratically elected government."
Source - chronicle
