We’ll deal with protesters: Zanu PF

ZANU PF youths yesterday vowed to take matters into their own hands and ordered law enforcement agents to look aside and allow them to ruthlessly crush widening public protests against President Robert Mugabe’s government.

Source: We’ll deal with protesters: Zanu PF – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 21, 2016

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Business came to a standstill in Harare, as thousands of Zanu PF activists – bussed from several provinces – marched from the party’s provincial offices to their headquarters in an apparent show of strength to intimidate their rivals in the wake of the anti-Mugabe protests that have rocked the country over the past few weeks.

During the march, the youths vowed to take to the streets and violently crush the peaceful demonstrations, coordinated by several pressure groups among them cleric, Evan Mawarire’s #ThisFlag, Tajamuka/Sesijikele and opposition parties.

As if to entice the youths into action, the party doled out huge tracts of land to youths in Harare and Bulawayo so they “defend” the party.

Zanu PF national youth commissar, Innocent Hamandishe threatened to violently crush the protests, which he said were meant to embarrass and force Mugabe to step down.

“There are people trying to threaten our President. If you threaten our President, then you are also poking us,” he said. “Next time, if pastors want to be funny, we will ask police to stand aside and, as youths, we will deal with them ourselves.”

Police, who for long have been accused of sympathising with Zanu PF, two weeks ago descended heavily on the demonstrators.

Zimbabwe has seen a wave of protests in Beitbridge, Harare, Bulawayo and other parts of the country, with citizens expressing their disgruntlement at the Zanu PF-led government’s failed economic policies.

Hamandishe said youths were initially reluctant to confront Mawarire, but had now resolved to “deal with him in a political way” to curb his growing public influence.

Zanu PF deputy youth secretary, Kudzanai Chipanga, said they were even more prepared to “deal” with protesters.

“During this time, when the President is delivering on his promises to us youths, there are other people trying to sabotage us. There are other people going around, claiming we have rebelled (Tajamuka),” he said.

“Pastors, your mandate is to pray for peace in the nation. Pastors, your duty is to pray for the country and its leaders to govern well and there is nowhere stated that pastors have to rule a country.

“Us, in Zanu PF, are even more rebellious than any of you. You can’t be more rebellious than Zanu PF.”

The party’s women’s league deputy secretary, Eunice Sandi Moyo, had no kind words for protesters, claiming Tajamuka and #ThisFlag movement should know that Zanu PF was the only party that liberated the country.

She accused Tajamuka of causing protests in Beitbridge, where people, who were unhappy at government’s decision to ban imports, caused unrest at the border post.
Moyo said they would not allow their supporters to participate in any stay away to protest against the government.

She said the huge crowd that turned out for the march yesterday was a sign that the ruling party had more numbers than protesters.
Other speakers vowed they would fight for Mugabe to rule for life.

Zanu PF is parcelling out residential stands to youths so that they will vote for the party in the 2018 elections.

However, Chipanga said they would be on the lookout for unscrupulous senior party officials that had corruptly benefited from government programmes ahead of deserving people.

He said only Zanu PF-registered voters would benefit from the stands.

The Makoni West MP said they were looking into many other projects such as mining and agriculture, where only Zanu PF youths would benefit.

Meanwhile, the Harare Metropolitan Residents’ Forum expressed concern at the reportedly devious manner Zanu PF was parcelling out the stands.

“It has come to the residents’ forum’s attention that the ruling party has mobilised people within the suburbs of Harare and neighbouring provinces for their march against protesters, claiming that they are going to issue residential stands to them. This is uncalled for and unexpected in a democracy. This is manipulation of people’s desperation for shelter,” the forum said.