Mnangagwa threatens to unleash army on businesses

As the military government becomes clueless on how to control the wayward economy, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reverted to what he knows best, the military – as he has threatened the business community with unleashing the military and other security forces to control prices of basic commodities.

Mnangagwa told the sizeable crowd at the commemorations of the Defence Forces Day on the 13 of August at the Rufaro Stadium in the capital Harare that the army and other security forces should know where their allegiance is and defend their country by making sure that wayward businesses were put under control.

However his statement have put fears and dampened his Zimbabwe is Open for business Mantra amongst investors who have been waiting to invest.

Political commentator Rufaro Mapfumo said the government was clueless on how to run the country after it has failed to control the runawayinflation now pegged at more than 500 percent, the high cost of living where most Zimbabweans are now reduced to beggars and the shortages of fuel and other basic commodities.

"It is now clear that all the political reforms he promised to implement are not working, hence he is turning to the military which assisted him with the ascension to power, he cannot do anything to them now as they are yielding so much power and he easily gives in to their demands," said Mapfumo.

There are already fears within the business circle as soldiers and other security agents have been seen milling in shops deemed to be overcharging on basic commodities.

A manager at a major retail outlet in Harare confirmed that a group of about ten soldiers visited his supermarket a day after Manngagwa's address and they started asking questions on why some goods were overpricedand warned him that his days were numbered as they were going to close his business.

"They just walked in and demanded to see me, they told me to reduce the prices of mainly basic commodities or else they would close this shop, I told them I had high costs in wages and other expenses but they would not budge insisting that I should have listened to what Mnangagwasaid," said the manager who could not be named for security reasons.

Other shops, beer halls and night clubs reported the same visits, where visibly drunk members of the security forces demanded free commodities and beer as "protection fees" for the businesses.

The incitement of the military to monitor businesses has been described by the opposition party members as an attempt to try and resuscitate an ailing economy and against the political dialogue and reforms that the government has promised to undertake.

"It is against everything the government has pledged to do before the international community, it is a desperate attempt to save a dead economy, the ruling party is now clueless it cannot run this country anymore," said Moses Dube a member of the MDC Alliance.

He said by vesting so much power in the military Mnanngagwa was already showing early signs of a dictator and it was up to the international community to whip him into line before he overstepped and killed the whole nation.

The military and other security arms of the government have been openly bragging to the civil population that they were the rulers of the country and have been enjoying huge monetary and material benefits at the expense of the suffering citizenry casting fears that Zimbabwe is now a militarized state.

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Makho Precious, I write my personal opinions as a free spirit standing for human rights and space in society