By Taurai Mazwi
The much hyped MDC demonstrations slated for various districts across the country are set to flop as business persons and other party members are reluctant to take part citing business disturbances and fear of arrests.
Following the recent flop of the urban demonstrations, the opposition party intends to hold the anti-Government demonstrations at growth points and smaller towns in all the 10 provinces of the country.
A source within the MDC told this publication that the intended District demonstrations may not succeed as people are unwilling to participate citing fears of being arrested and lack of resources.
“People have no appetite to participate in the planned demonstrations because they are not happy with what happened during the previous demonstrations where people were beaten and arrested. As usual the MDC leadership did not visit the arrested members or even enquire about their welfare.
“Supporters will not be financially assisted in any way by their executive and so they feel they cannot be seen going into their own pocket, sponsoring the party and sacrificing the little that they have,” he said.
The business community has also castigated these planned demonstrations citing that they will turn violent thereby destroying their business premises.
One Murehwa Councillor who preferred anonymity said, “The MDC has realised that it is losing its grip of the urban areas and now wants to invade our peaceful areas. They have no support in these areas; they should find other peaceful means like dialogue and let us be.”
MDC Mashonaland West Provincial Chairman and Organising Secretary, Ralph Tawanda Magunje and Mukudzei Chigumbura have generated WhatsApp messages mobilising provincial structures to attend the demonstrations to be held across the Province.
Part of the message reads, “All members, supporters, sympathisers, well-wishers and all those economically affected by the current misrule by this ZANU PF Government are hereby invited to join us to constitutionally demonstrate from the following centres; Kariba, Karoi, Chinhoyi, Chegutu West, Norton and Kadoma.
“All local Constituency Coordinating Committees through all their District Coordinators and DOSs are hereby directed to make sure that everything is in order for successful demonstration. Failure is not an option.”
