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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

POLICE are on high alert to thwart any illegal demonstration and will arrest any suspect involved in inciting the public to engage in unsanctioned protests bent on disrupting smooth business operations.

This comes after opposition elements linked to the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) have created a flier indicating that there will be public protests starting today, demanding for fresh polls.

According to the flier, the protests will be held countrywide. 

The CCC is rejecting the results of the Presidential elections where its leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa, lost with 44 percent of the total vote, while President Mnangagwa has been declared winner after getting 52,6 percent of the votes.

While the opposition is rejecting the Presidential poll results, it has no qualms with the election of its Parliament and local authority winners where it came second to the ruling party.

Zanu-PF won 136 seats in Parliament against 73 won by the opposition meaning the ruling party has the majority of proportional representation seats for women, youth and senate quotas.

Despite the country’s laws enabling political parties aggrieved with electoral outcomes to approach the courts for legal recourse, the opposition has vowed not to take the legal route.

It has, however, threatened to embark on nationwide protests to force Government to conduct fresh elections, a demand that authorities have said they will not give in to. Already, the Government has enacted Statutory Instrument 1380A of 2023 confirming winners of the 2023 harmonised elections in line with the Electoral Act, paving way for inauguration of the President and swearing in of parliamentarians and councillors.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said law enforcement agents have not sanctioned any protests and those found violating the law will be arrested.

He, however, urged members of the public to go about their business as adequate deployments have been made to guarantee their safety.

“The laws of the country are very clear, the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (Chapter 11:03) states that anyone who wants to organise any form of political gathering has to notify the local regulating authority (police) have not been notified of the planned protest,” he said.

“Unlawful gatherings will be dealt with according to the country’s laws and there is no going back on that stance. Anyone who tries to incite the public to engage in unlawful activities will be arrested,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He said those who will be identified to be behind the illegal protest will be arrested indiscriminately. Asst Comm Nyathi said police will, however, not pre-empt their investigations regarding the matter.

“But what I can assure is that anyone who is identified to be engaged in illegal acts meant to cause alarm and despondency in the country will have themselves to blame and I mean it,” he said.

“The police have made deployments throughout the country. We want to make sure that the public is free to conduct their daily activities without any form of harassment, intimidation, and threats.”

Association of Business Zimbabwe (ABUZ) chief executive officer Mr Victor Nyoni said political players should exhaust all legal routes before they embark on disruptive protests.

“The economy knows no Zanu-PF, knows no CCC and knows no politician. When the economy goes bad it affects all of us,” he said.

“So, I think it is important that the politicians must dialogue and adopt channels that do not hurt the economy in settling their differences.

“We are disappointed as businesses that there are some people who want to take the route of disrupting the economy and I don’t think that is the way things should be done. 

“They must go to court and use other channels such as really reaching out to each other for negotiations.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said since the turn of the millennium the opposition has chosen protests, which have not yielded not positive results but hurt businesses in the process. -@nqotshili