The incident happened on Monday although the hotel has Mugabes portrait at its reception as is the case with all public places. According to the sources, the youths also ordered the removal of Argentine revolutionary, Ernesto Che Guevara, saying they did not want to see a picture of a white man.
The Zanu PF hoodlums, who descended on the entertainment area appeared to be heavily sloshed from what seemed to be illegal substances, said one patron who spoke to The Zimbabwean. Upper City Hotel is a former red light area but new management renovated the joint and banished the commercial sex workers who patronised the place.
The hotel has changed names from Terresken then later to The Bira. Hotel workers told The Zimbabwean that the Zanu PF youths and CIO operatives said they could not stand the sight of the portrait of Obama in the absence of President Robert Mugabe in the bar.
They, (Zanu PF youths) were very drunk and disorderly. They said Mugabe had just celebrated his 87th birthday and they would not allow the portrait of the American president to have pride of place in a Zimbabwean public place. An employee at the Upper City Hotel told this newspaper that they now feared for their lives as the hoodlums had threatened to return to assess the level of patriotism among patrons and workers.
We are now living in fear because these thugs may return and that may chase our patrons away or they may even harm us physically. They may even come and demand free beer or loot the place, he said. The Zanu PF youths had no qualms with a portrait of Zanu PF and President Robert Mugabe praise singer, losing Big Brother contestant, Munyaradzi Chidzonga .
The seductive power of Marilyn Monroe also prevailed on the violent youths as they agreed that her portrait did not have to be removed.
The storming of the Upper City Hotel appears to be part of a well planned operation as another drinking outlet, Portugal Restaurant has been targeted in the past two weeks by drunken soldiers and Zanu PF supporters who have threatened to take over the operations of the outlet under the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act.
Post published in: News