Affrontements à Harare – 7 février 2011

Violence rocks Harare

newsday.co.zw

TANGAI CHIPANGURA | HARARE – Feb 07 2011

It took the urgent and timely intervention of Zimbabwe’s security agents to avert total mayhem in the capital Monday after planned demonstrations by Zanu PF youths, seeking to dispossess foreign traders in the city, turned riotous and the youths went on a looting spree.

Yesterday’s disturbances in the city are a continuation of the violence that has rocked Harare in the past two weeks and now threatens to engulf the entire country.
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo says: “It’s a party-approved programme which we want people to receive.”

But as almost happened yesterday, things could very easily get out of hand and Zimbabwe may find itself in deeper problems than political parties may anticipate.

Monday’s programme had been carefully planned at the weekend, but the wheels came off somewhere and, according to sources inside the plan, the whole programme had to be abandoned.

Zanu PF had organised its youths from townships in Harare to congregate at the party provincial headquarters from where they were to proceed across town demonstrating against the engagement of Easipak, a South African company brought by the City of Harare to collect parking fees in the city, before heading to the Gulf Complex at the south-western end of town to send a similar message to Chinese and Nigerian traders.

Monday’s mission was to express the party’s empowerment drive – to eject the Chinese and Nigerian businesses trading in common goods such as electrical gadgets and foodstuffs which Zimbabwean youths could do without difficulty.

Our source said after demonstrations at the Gulf, the party expected the provincial leadership to address them and perhaps make clear the message to the foreigners – that if they have to be in Zimbabwe, they ought to bring with them meaningful investment in manufacturing and other sectors but not selling cellphones and the staple sadza.

Unfortunately, the planners overestimated the discipline of the youths, drawn from various townships, including “battle-hardened” Mbare’s Chipangano members.

Even while their colleagues were still gathering at the Fourth Street party provincial headquarters, scores of youths, chanting Zanu PF slogans and flying the party flag, had besieged the Gulf Complex.