The two-day protest this week has so far been an apparent flop. But there's a good reason for its failure - the best reason in the world
Other Zimbabwe sites and blogs are expressing disappointment in what they describe as a poor turn-out for the nationwide strike here yesterday and today. You can almost sense criticism in their words. Can it be, they seem to ask, that we Zimbabweans are not sufficiently determined in our protest? Are we a weak people who tacitly accept the tyranny that dominates us and persecutes us?
They are wrong, they are so wrong. There is indeed one good sound crystal-clear reason why we are not out on the streets in angry crowds. If we do get out there, if we mount a full-scale protest, we will be killed. Death is the official order of the day. This is no wild allegation. I have seen the evidence that proves the truth of what I am saying. And I will share it with you now.
The evidence I have seen is a memorandum - to give it its full title, Memorandum AC 136/2007. It was issued on Tuesday, from the desk of Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, and addressed to all police provincial and district commanders. It is headed "Orders Ref Illegal ZCTU Strike".
In part it reads as follows: "We cannot allow people to defy the government and try to usher in regime change through unorthodox means. This strike is illegal and should be prevented. Team commanders should identify ringleaders from within groups of demonstrators and order group snipers to shoot to injure or even kill when necessary."
"Kill when necessary..." - stark words that give licence to every trigger-happy thug on Mugabe's payroll to shoot anyone he doesn't like the look of.
My police source in the city of Bulawayo told me last night: "We were told by Assistant Commissioner Cornelius Muzeza, the acting officer in charge of this province, that we had all the blessings from the commissioners to shoot and kill ringleaders if the strike went nasty and people took to the streets."
Is it now any wonder that a people already struggling to keep body and soul together in the face of starvation and the breakdown of normal life should hesitate before walking out unprotected in full view of Mugabe's notoriously haphazard and ill-disciplined snipers?
It's worth noting that the police themselves have been fairly pro-active these last couple of days. In Harare they raided the home of Isaac Matombo, leader of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. Isaac, wise man, was not at home, so our dutiful police arrested his brother and a security guard instead.
In Bulawayo two more ZCTU offricials were arrested, and more were taken into custody in the eastern border town of Mutare. No access to the arrested men has been allowed. Torture for people thus arrested is now routine.
So to the various other news sources from abroad, in Africa, Europe, the United States, I would say this: If you believe that the response to the strike was "disappointing", then still today, despite everything we have tried to tell you, you know absolutely nothing about life, precious life, in today's Zimbabwe.
come on good Zimbos, get to the streets and toyi toyi to State house.
Pius Ncube was right after all when he said "he is ready to lead the people, guns blazing, but they are not ready"
face the regime my fellow countrymen
Posted by: africa | Saturday, 22 September 2007 at 08:25