Staff Reporter
Controversial Government critic and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume, is planning to continue with his 31st July Movement, disguised as a clean-up campaign in Mbare, on the 7th of May, in defiance of a directive issued by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) barring him from the event.
ZRP Mbare in a letter dated 1 May 2021, turned down the Movement’s request, citing that previously, such a gathering by the same Movement ended up being used as an excuse to advance political interests and that it was the mandate of Harare City Council to clean up the area.
“Your notification letter to carry out a clean-up campaign between Matapi and Matererini Flats on 04 May 2021 and at the vegetable market on 07 May 2021 starting at 1000hours to 1400hours has been noted.
“You are being advised that your application is not approved. This has been necessitated by the fact that the last time you held your campaign, you ended up politicising the event by flashing banners with political information. In view of the above, may you leave the cleaning exercise to the City of Harare to deal with it,” read part of the letter.
Ngarivhume on his Twitter handle responded that they will continue with their clean-up operation despite the police ban.
“We are planning to continue with our clean-up operation no matter the consequence. There will be no banners for the movement, just humanity rising to meet the need. Humanity tells us that we go ahead and then face the consequences no matter what they are,” responded Ngarivhume.
Last year Ngarivhume was arrested for organising the July 31 anti-Government protests and since then he is always on social media inciting the public to revolt against the Government.
The MDC-Alliance led Harare City Council has failed to perform a variety of functions, chief among them the provision of public services including refuse collection, water and sanitation, housing, road maintenance and health and education.
