by Grace Chekai
Citizens continue to lay into the much hyped #31July protests being spearheaded by the leader of Transform Zimbabwe, Jacob Ngarivhume, Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and MDC-Alliance, saying they have learnt from the past demos that nothing come out of them save to destroy infrastructure and prop up the names of the organisers.
One farmer from Odzi, Mr James Matanga lamented over these opposition planned demonstrations saying, “We learnt a lesson from these opposition led demonstrations. Their agenda is to remove the duly elected Government from power, so they plan their violent demonstrations in the name of ‘peaceful protests.’”
“Last year I experienced a huge loss as my farm produce decomposed just because the opposition party had forced people to stay away. They beat and torture anyone found on the streets. This time I am certain every farmer will not participate in these demonstrations even if they were sanctioned,” said the farmer.
A vendor from Mbare, Mrs Chari said that people would not waste their precious time protesting as it would not bring any food on their tables but instead bring regrettable losses to their business.
One MDC-Alliance supporter said that the 31 protests are going to be a flop arguing that the youths who are the backbone of every successful demonstration in the past were not consulted.
“We were not fully consulted as the youth constituent as is the tradition. We don’t even know what’s in for us after the demonstration. We just hear there were some funds poured into the project but we don’t know how it is going to be used. We have learnt from the past that such demos benefit the organisers. I think we have wised up a bit this time around. Jacob (Ngarivhume) must give us the money he was given so that we can risk our lives,” said the charged youth.
Many organisations and political parties have condemned the planned 31 July protests. ZANU PF rubbished the planned demonstrations yesterday and all its wings and structures have done so as well. This quashed Ngarivhume`s claims that they had the support of some of the ZANU PF big wigs.
Speaking at a ZANU PF presser yesterday, ZANU PF acting spokesperson, Cde Patrick Chinamasa urged Zimbabweans to shun the MDC A’s demonstration saying that party masqueraded as a democratic party when they were just Trojan horses for Neo colonialists.
The leader an opposition political party Labour, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD), Linda Masarira also attacked these illegal protests.
“My fellow leaders we all know that a lot of these “so called demonstrations” have happened and they achieved nothing, all we got was property vandalism. Those who called for the demonstrations were not there,” she said.
