Takunda Mandura and Malvern Mkudu
Scores of Zimbabweans took to the streets this morning in support of the mass demonstrations organised by the Morgan Tsvangirai led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Morgan Tsvangirai and other high ranking officials of the main opposition party marched in the streets with protesters to the amusement of many Zimbabweans working in down town Harare who stopped their work to watch the marching crowd.
The protesters are demanding that the ruling ZANU PF party led by President Robert Mugabe deliver the 2,2 million jobs he promised in 2013 elections. Others were demanding that $15 billion that President Robert Mugabe confessed went missing be accounted for.
The demonstrations were initially banned by police until a High Court order cleared the protests and ordered police to cover the costs of the law suit.
Other protesters were holding placards demanding that President Robert Mugabe resign for failing to deliver on his election promises. President Mugabe has of late been under pressure both from inside his party and outside the party as war veterans have also been calling for his resignation.
Fierce succession battles in the ruling party have escalated with one faction in the party led by his young wife accusing the other led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa of trying to push out the old leader.
His long time comrades that went to war with him such as Cephas Msipa have also called for his retirement. On his part, President Mugabe has vowed to stay put saying he will not retire as long as his party still want him to stay.
Recently in Japan , he said that Zimbabweans still wanted him to stay but the situation on the ground has been different with calls for his retirement growing even among his long time comrades.
With unemployment reaching 90% and the majority of Zimbabweans wallowing in poverty President Mugabe’s rule has come under pressure. The country is currently facing a massive cash shortage and this has only managed to escalate discontent against Mugabe’s rule.
Simon Khaya-Moyo the ruling party’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment as his phone went unanswered.
