Soldiers stamp authority as they turn people away from entering the CBD

The situation in Harare is intense today. Most people have been reporting that they are being turned away by armed soldiers and police officers manning roadblocks. So pathetic is the situation that even those with letters allowing them to travel have been told to go back home.

What should have been a normal working day with people doing the ordinary has now turned into one big nightmare for most. The primary reason being to curb the protest scheduled for 31 July. The protest certainly has caused panic and most people have resorted to simply staying at home.

The last time people took to the streets to stage a demonstration, soldiers were not hesitant to shoot. Most people have shunned the protest movement saying it has been organised at the wrong time. The number of covid 19 deaths in the country is rising every single day with reported cases of those who have tested positive clocking over 2500 cases. Surely grouping people together poses an even greater risk.

Norton legislator Temba Mliswa also voiced his concerns on Twitter and said the demonstration would cause more harm than good. A letter purportedly written by the MDC A that the protest had been cancelled was said to be fake by their spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere yesterday.

Getting into Harare CBD has proved to be a difficult task today.