ZIMBABWEANS should ignore the planned mass protests by the opposition MDC Alliance aimed at toppling the Government as this is retrogressive to development being spearheaded by Zanu-PF across the country, a Cabinet Minister said yesterday.

Defence and War Veterans’ Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who is also Zanu-PF national chairperson, said this while addressing party supporters in Bulilima East constituency during belated celebrations following the constituency’s MP Mangaliso Ndlovu’s victory in last year’s parliamentary polls.

Ndlovu is also the Minister of Industry and Commerce.
Muchinguri-Kashiri’s call for people to shun protests come at a time when the MDC-A and its sympathisers are planning demonstrations on Friday.

“The hard-won Independence that you are cherishing today was brought by the living and fallen gallant sons and daughters who fought during the liberation struggle. Therefore, you should defend the freedom that you are enjoying today and us as the living heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle, we will defend the gains of the liberation struggle,” she said.

“There are some people (opposition political elements) who are mobilising the masses to stage demonstrations on the 16th of August to go about killing people, bombing and destroying infrastructure to cause despondency in our country so that they overthrow the constitutionally-elected Government.”

The economic saboteurs, Muchinguri-Kashiri said, were also working in cahoots with the opposition to increase prices of basic commodities in the country to effect regime change.

“As Government, we urge the citizens not to take heed of the planned mass protests. Such barbaric acts are predisposed to retard economic and social development being advanced by the Government in sync with the aspirations of the national vision to transform the country into an upper middle income economy by 2030,” she said.State media