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President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to remove the restriction of passing through Chancellor Avenue between State House and Zimbabwe House in Harare between 6PM and 6AM to allow free passage at all times.

The restriction of passage between 6PM and 6AM was introduced on the road in the 1980s after some people threw missiles at Zimbabwe House prompting government to tighten security, President Mnangagwa said.

The road has traffic signs informing motorists that it is closed between 6PM and 6AM. Speaking to journalists at a press conference in Victoria Falls last Thursday, President Mnangagwa said he was impressed by the level of tolerance and political maturity among Zimbabweans, hence chances of a similar attack occurring are limited.

He said Zimbabweans should be allowed to enjoy their freedom.

“I am not sure at your age if you understand why this happened, it was in the 1980s when some people driving along Chancellor Road fired rockets onto Zimbabwe House. So we didn’t want that possibility of people using proximity to Zimbabwe House and we closed that road between 6PM and 6AM because the incident happened at night,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said the new dispensation wants people to enjoy their freedoms.

The President said security personnel guarding the section of the road will remain in place.

“It is my belief that the possibility of such a thing is now very remote. I have no doubt and have confidence in our own people that they have respect for our own institutions,” the President said. He called for tolerance and unity among Zimbabweans.

“It is my view that if we do well and if we are all united there is no need for firing rockets. We can’t force respect through such means so I am going to make sure that closing is removed because after all we have security patrolling so why not allow people freedom,” added President Mnangagwa.

Last year in May, a South African professional hunter, Adriaan Philip Olivier (31), was fined $150 for trespassing after he drove his vehicle through the barricades along the same road at around 3AM.

@ncubeleon