The soldiers were all over the city carrying firearms, belts of ammunition and other weapons. They could also be spotted taking cover in ditches along roads that lead to the Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA) located few kilometers from the city centre.
Helicopters from the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) also hovered over the city on the morning of April 15 the day that Mugabe commissioned the soldiers who had completed 18-month training in which one of the candidates died.
We have been frightened by the presence of the soldiers and in my case I was so disturbed because it reminded me of a time when people like that massacred my friends and relatives during the Gukurahundi era, an elderly man who identified himself as Budiriro Mhiripiri told The Zimbabwean.
Others echoed his sentiments and questioned why a Head of State who should be a man of the people should be so heavily guarded instead of being seen roaming the streets to meet ordinary citizens.
Post published in: News