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MDC supporters demonstrate outside the party’s Harvest House headquarters in Harare (FILE PHOTO)

It is time Zimbabweans say enough is enough. This MDC Alliance tomfoolery cannot be allowed to continue. The MDC-Alliance leaders and supporters have, like every Zimbabwean citizen, been allowed to enjoy freedom of expression but what is now worrying is the abuse of this freedom.

The opposition party has been allowed to stage demonstrations against what it perceives as shortcomings of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).

The MDC Alliance which has developed cold feet on the eve of the pending harmonised elections set for Monday, is now threatening to shut down Harare and the entire country if its ridiculous demands are not met.

The MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has made several threats to shut down the country and cause chaos if his party loses the elections. This is unwarranted intimidation of the electorate and abuse of freedom of expression which must be stopped now. The MDC Alliance, as rightly observed by diplomats, is abusing the freedom brought about by the new dispensation.

The country has been enjoying peace which has seen leaders of opposition parties including Mr Chamisa criss-crossing the country to canvass for votes and we therefore wonder what Mr Chamisa intends to achieve by threatening to cause anarchy. What is not in dispute is that the MDC Alliance is now afraid of losing elections hence these desperate moves to intimidate the electorate ahead of the plebiscite.

The police had every reason to ban yesterday’s planned MDC Alliance demonstration against Zec because the same opposition party has held two similar demonstrations against Zec on the same issues.  The opposition party conveyed its message when it staged the two demonstrations so what else do they want to achieve by staging a third demonstration?

This, we are very convinced, is a disguise meant to start mobilising people for  the planned shutdown and fortunately the police read well into the plot.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has assured the nation that Government will not allow anarchy and those that dare incite anarchy will be dealt with in terms of the law.  President Mnangagwa said Government will not allow abuse of political freedom as what MDC Alliance is doing now.

We want at this juncture to implore Government to translate its warnings into action and send a very clear message to those intending to cause anarchy that this will not be tolerated. The MDC Alliance has been at the forefront of denouncing Zec with party officials and supporters making threats against senior Zec officials including the election body’s chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba.

Zec has since reported the threats against its staff to the police. We have already asked the ZRP commander for this year’s harmonised elections Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza to take action to stop this nonsense.