HARARE –Police have threatened to put an end to any protests that are organised by the opposition in response to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s contentious election victory.
This comes after the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), which enjoys widespread support throughout the nation, rejected the election results from Saturday, which gave the incumbent 52,6 percent of the popular vote to Nelson Chamisa’s 44 percent.
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Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police’s spokesperson, claimed in a statement on Sunday that the opposition was organising its supporters to participate in a phoney verification exercise in Harare while its true plans were to start protests.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is fully aware of attempts by some political activists to mobilise groups of people to move in small numbers and come to Harare for purported briefing and popcorn demonstrations under the guise of citizen voter audit or verification.
“This has even been given credence by some social media posts obtained by the police where some individuals and groups are openly inciting violence and issuing threats aimed at causing alarm and despondence among Zimbabweans.
“The police will not hesitate to effect arrests on such criminal elements,” Nyathi said.
He said, “Zimbabweans should feel free to go to their workplaces, to conduct family and other activities without fear or any form of intimidation from anyone”.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has deployed police officers throughout the country to maintain law and order.”
“Any form of unlawful political gatherings will be dealt with by the police in terms of the country’s laws,” Nyathi said.
