The aftermath of violent protests and the way forward

The MDC Alliance and their regime change agenda cahoots in the civil society instigated violent protests that took place from the 14th to 16th of January 2019 and the inconceivable repercussions will be felt for a long time to come.

The opposition MDC since its inception in 1999 has always been fronting the regime change agenda in Zimbabwe and this has been causing numerous political conflicts which have hampered the social-political-economic development of the country.

The recent western sponsored demonstrations by the opposition members left behind a battered political landscape in the country resulting in an unstable political environment, a deliberate ploy to disrupt any nation building efforts. The western communities have been trying hard to block Government efforts in reviving the economy in a bid to make the people of Zimbabwe suffer through their illegal economic sanctions so as to foment an uprising.

In as much as protesting is a constitutional right in Zimbabwe, the damages and effects that are brought by these violent demonstrators are unimaginable.

While the impacts of the recent acts of violence have not been fully understood by many, as most media houses chose to publicise one side of the story, this has been damaging to the image of the country. It's sad that some western countries are condemning the Zimbabweans government based on some of these cooked up stories by sensational media houses.

It is also necessary to unpack the untold story which saw horrendous destruction being carried out by rogue demonstrators and the best possible solutions to avoiding the same in the future.

There have been physical damages to most Government institutions during an orgy of the violent demonstrations in most parts of the country. A number of police stations, tollgates, police vehicles, a ZUPCO bus and a truck that was full of medical drugs worth US $143 000 were burnt beyond repair. This affected Government business as most of these institutions were forced to close paving way for renovations.

Members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), fell victims to these violent protests and sadly Constable Alexio Maune (32), who was based at Entumbane Police Station, lost his life while 78 others were injured nationwide.

In addition, most shops were looted and some were also burnt. This affected the business community by creating shortages of commodities whilst on the other hand; employees of the affected shops such as till operators, security guards and merchandisers among others lost their jobs during those violent protests.

However, it should be known that peace and stability are the most that can be hoped for, if we are going to progress as a nation. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been calling for national dialogue with leaders of opposition political parties as a way of restoring peace in the country. This noble endeavour has also found support from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) who met political party leaders in Harare, and encouraged their leaders to engage in national dialogue so as to bury their differences and focus on the economy and the betterment of Zimbabwe.

Leaders of opposition political parties must educate their supporters to desist from acts of violence as this also affect the economic growth of the nation.

Therefore, it is imperative to note that economic growth and political stability are Siamese twins. The uncertainty associated with an unstable political environment may decrease investment and the speed of economic development.

All political parties in the country should be dedicated on working for the social and economic development of the country. Their steps and political activities are expected to be for the improvement of the condition of the country and the citizens.