by Tawanda Musariri

Hooligans walking from mainly high density suburbs in Harare and Bulawayo have charged into town, harassing ordinary people and businesspersons going about their peaceful daily business. The violence parties are using social media to coordinate their efforts as well as to intimidate the public from accessing the CBD and enjoying their constitutional freedoms to work for their families.

Meanwhile government has responded with deploying anti-riot police details to quell the disturbances and return the respective CBDs to normal business atmospheres.

“Important notice or warning the intent of this message is to inform you that we are giving you 45 minutes only 45 minutes those who are in town of Harare and those who opened their business up to 08:45 you shouldn’t be seen in the CBD of Harare we are coming for you and we will show you how to behave in our country,” reads an unsigned Whatsapp message which started doing rounds early Monday morning.

And true to this threat, schools have been force-closed in Mabvuku and Chitungwiza, with teachers assaulted by the marauding mobs at Pfumo Primary School in Zengeza.  

Harare CBD has been turned into a ghost town as tyre burning hoodlums have caused businesses to shut with the fear of endangering their businesses, customers and workers.

In Bulawayo, looting has been reported at a Choppies Supermarket in Pumula, a high density suburb a few kilometres west of Bulawayo CBD.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has called for restraint in the interest of peace. In a bulletin, the churches said, “Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) notes, with concern, the wide circulation of hate-filled social media messages calling for the nation to take to the streets to protest against the economic hardships.

“Whilst the economic situation is not favourable to the general citizenry, ZCBC is calling upon peace-loving citizens to exercise restraint and avoid reacting in the heat of the moment to give room for dialogue with all stakeholders concerned. History has shown that most demonstrations which are called in the name of peace have a tendency of degenerating into violence and  spilling innocent blood. Events of 01 August 2018 are called to mind.

“ZCBC is therefore appealing to the nation to shun violence and engaging in mass gatherings called by faceless social media characters, who have no responsibility to the collateral damage that might ensue.”