Central Intelligence threatens businesses

A woman walks along an empty street in the central business district of Harare during the shutdown on 6 July. Photograph: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

Speaking to this journalist on the day of the scheduled second protest, one of the most renowned business people in the city said that businessmen were increasingly being threatened as the planned protest date drew nearer.

“Zanu PF officials among whom, Magura and various National Youth services officers, known as the ‘Green Bombers’ have been going around the city spreading a message that state security agents have been assigned to identify closed shops and stalls with a view to identifying owners who take part in the protest and that their businesses will then be closed down or repossessed and offered to Zanu PF loyalists,” said the businessman who asked to remain anonymous.

“As one of the numerous economic and unemployment victims, I was left with no option but to come to work under threat of losing my livelihood.  Although I was here, I sent a very powerful, silent prayer of thanks that pastor Mawarire had finally been released,” said a flea market stall operator who asked not to be identified for fear of victimisation.

Although many people in the Midlands capital did not heed the call to join the second protest, most residents and business people expressed joy over the news that Pastor Evans Mawarire had been released.

(Chero vanhu vazhinji vakamanikidzwa kuenda kunorima nechisi ndafara nokuregerwa kwa va Mawarire). Although people were forced not to protest, I am overjoyed by the release of the forerunner of the ‘ShutDown Zimbabwe’ protest. This served as a clear message that despite the political intervention by Zanu PF politicians, the courts still have professional magistrates and judges.

“No amount of harassment and intimidation will deter our efforts aimed at liberating ourselves from the bondage of crafted sufferings,” said a top civil servant. This comes at a time when the masses protest and express their anger at the Zanu PF for their misrule and empty employment promises.

Civic organisations, the media, churches and ordinary citizens castigated the criminalisation of peaceful demonstrations by police and the military citing it as an abuse of citizens’ constitutional rights.

Despite suffering savage beatings, ongoing harassment by authorities and being locked up for fighting for change in the country over the past few weeks, scores of protesters who spoke to this reporter said that they are willing to die in order to free this country from oppression.

Many protesters who spoke to this reporter vowed that they will not rest until President Robert Mugabe’s government reforms or resigns despite the ugly face of State sanctioned brutality in which civilians continue to bear the brunt of random and wanton attacks from hate filled and demonic riot police.