Internet Shutdown, Soldiers Unleashed As Zimbabwean Government Responds To #ShutdownZimbabwe
The Zimbabwean government has shut down the internet as the 3 day Shutdown Zimbabwe protest turned violent yesterday.
Reports of men in civilian uniform shot at civilians with as many as 26 injuries reported by the Zimbabwe association of doctors for human rights. Various shops were looted and business was disrupted in the capital and Bulawayo.
Now the government has shut down the internet in a bid to quash the protest and censor the violent crackdown by the security forces.
Meanwhile residents of Mabvuku, Dzivarasekwa and Chitungwiza woke up facing the wrath of security forces as they are cracking down on civilians. Reports of soldiers and police beating up civilians including women and children have surfaced according to Douglas Coltart.
On the 12 of January the President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa flanked by his Vice President and service chiefs announced a sharp increase in fuel prices with an anticipated ripple effect on prices of goods and services to a citizenry struggling with an ailing economy and worsening standards of living.
In response, Zimbabwe’s largest workers union ZCTU and various pressure groups and NGOs called for a 3 day stay away from Monday the 14th of January dubbed #shutdownZimbabwe in protest against the government neglect of the plight of the ordinary people, whose income does not conform to the cost of living.
Africa Transformation hub joins the Zimbabwean people in calling for peace and restraint from the security forces in order to calm the situation.
Tatenda W Mhlanga
