Anti-Mugabe protestors chicken out, change strategy

Activists under the banner "This Constitution Our Constitution" have changed their strategy after police in Bulawayo sealed their starting point which was at the Bulawayo City Hall.

Police have also deployed armed officers throughout the western suburbs.

Instead of marching, the demonstrators will now distribute copies of the constitution to members of the public in bank queues.

Some of the organizations which were expected to take part in the protests include Bulawayo Youths Arise (BUYA), Youths Advocacy Reform Democracy (YARD), Active Youths Zimbabwe (AYZ), Progressive Coordinating Trust (PCT) Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) and Zimbabwe Liberation Peace Forum (ZLPF) among other organizations.

Meanwhile, organisers of today's demonstration say they are ready to confront police brutality, as they take to the streets protesting against the impending introduction of bond notes and rampant corruption in the country.

The demo - dubbed Munhu Wese MuRoad (Everyone to the Streets) - will bring together various social movement groups to protest against the introduction of the surrogate currency reportedly to mitigate the current cash shortages the country is facing.

The organisers of the demonstration, which comes after the government gazetted Statutory Instrument 133 of 2016 to provide a legal framework for the introduction of the bond notes, said they would not be deterred by police brutality, as they demand answers from President Robert Mugabe's administration.

Addressing the media yesterday, #ThisFlower and National Vendors' Union of Zimbabwe (Navuz) leader Sten Zvorwadza said nothing would stand in their way.