[Zimbabwe Protests]
BSN: “Anti-riot police and armed soldiers are patrolling streets and checkpoints are being established to block streets. Zimbabwe has been struggling economically.”
Photo: YouTube
On Thursday, Zimbabwe’s security forces cleared streets and closed shops in the nation’s capital, Harare, ahead of a planned protest against the government on Friday.
Anti-riot police and armed soldiers are patrolling streets and checkpoints are being established to block streets. Zimbabwe has been struggling economically.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP) around two-thirds of the country will need food aid before the end of this year.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been unable to revive the economy as he promised. Zimbabweans have complained that they are worse off now than when they lived under former President Robert Mugabe. On Wednesday, President Mnangagwa said Friday’s protest would amount to an “insurrection.”
The police have said the demonstrations will not be allowed.
In a statement, police said: “All security arms of government are on full alert and will deal decisively with any individuals or groups fomenting violence and sending threats or provocative messages through the social media or any other means.”
Activists have called for rallies across the country against the economic hardships and are decrying what they say is rampant government corruption.
On protest leader, Promise Mkwananzi, who is hiding from police retaliation, said: “The protest is fluid. It will take whatever form that will disable the regime, and would be the beginning of many more in future. The regime has already been shaken to the core. We have disrupted their comfort zones.”
To make matters worse, Zimbabwe’s government yesterday agreed to compensate white farmers to the tune of $3.6 billion. These white farmers had formerly occupied lands stolen from Black Zimbabweans during the colonial period when the nation was known as Rhodesia–after white supremacist criminal colonizer Cecil Rhodes.
