'Third hand behind Zimbabwe disturbances'

The government has confirmed the presence of a third hand in the well-choreographed violent disturbances and acts of sabotage by the motley host of opposition outfits led by the MDC Alliance, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC).

The government also said the provocative actions by these illegal regime change outfits were funded by a foreign power to the tune of US$2 million.

The actions which were marked by arson, attempted murder, murder, looting, robbery, violence, barricading of roads and premeditated attacks on the police and protected areas such as police stations, were intended to invite a backlash from the state.

The millions of dollars are being distributed among the criminals and their handling organisations.

The idea was to ensure that the state security services would respond, using disproportionate force, which would result in the death of at least 200 people  and in the process, place the country on the international human rights radar.

However, the state responded in a measured and lawful manner, a fact that derailed the operation by the super power behind the violent protests.

The super power in question is unhappy with the deepening ties between Harare and Moscow hence part of the timing that coincided with the President's visit to Russia.

Part of the operation was calculated to push the President to abandon his current international engagement and re-engagement efforts.

This effort was in futile.

As a way to re-ignite the foiled operation, the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights was roped in to concoct false inflated statistics of alleged shootings of protestors.

Ironically, the doctors in question had no qualms treating alleged shooting victims without alerting the police as per the law.

The attacks against police establishment which are areas protected by armed personnel is instructive.

The coincidence of the well-calculated ploy by the super power in question, in concert with its local adjuncts, is not lost on the government of Zimbabwe.

The well-choreographed violent demonstrations coincide with; the review of the European Union (EU) sanctions on Zimbabwe, which takes place at this time of the year.

It also coincided by manoeuvres by some outfits to lobby for the inclusion of Zimbabwe on the security council agenda and to petition His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa to be barred from attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

The violent demonstrations coincided with plans to send a petition to the AU by CZC which same outfit led and convened the foreign funded meetings of the 3rd to the 7th of November 2018 and that of the 11th of  this month.

The efforts by this super power are not limited to provocative actions in Zimbabwe, but at the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa.

On the 16th of  this year,  another front for that super power, the concerned citizens of Zimbabwe, staged a demonstration at the embassy, where four  petrol bombs were discovered after the protestors failed to throw them due to a heavy presence of South African police.

It is not surprising that at the same hordes of MDC Alliance activists violently invaded the Zimbabwean Embassy in London and vandalised President Mnangagwa's portrait and replaced it with that of MDC Alliance leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa.

The government further says Zimbabwe will not be distracted by the meddling and foreign interference by the concerned super power as it rigorously pursues its Zimbabwe is open for business mantra, as well as its re-engagement efforts.