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Kombis await their turn to ferry commuters to various suburbs at the Market Square rank

Tendai Mugabe and Elita Chikwati
A Shutdown called by shadowy opposition groups seeking to make Zimbabwe ungovernable pursuant to the illegal regime change agenda flopped dismally yesterday after Zimbabweans ignored it and went about their normal business. Calls for the shutdown were circulated on social media, with threats of violence against those who would ignore the call.

Police, however, assured people that violent elements would be dealt with.

A survey by The Herald showed it was business as usual in Harare.

The central business district was a hive of activity, with shops and banks open for business.

Also read:

• Stayaway a flop – Statistics
• Business as usual, no stayaway
• Strike heeded, shutdown ignored

Parents could be seen buying uniforms and food in preparation for the opening of schools next week.

The situation was the same in the informal sector, with markets like Mupedzanhamo, Siya So, Gulf Complex and the Glen View furniture complex operating normally.

Traders go about their normal business at the Gulf Complex in Harare yesterday as the opposition’s call for a complete shutdown went unheeded

No cases of violence were reported in the CBD, though isolated cases were reported in Warren Park and Glen Norah C.

A commuter omnibus was burnt under unclear circumstances along Bulawayo Road in the early hours of yesterday.

Police said they had not received a report in relation to that incident and it could not be ascertained if it was related to the supposed shutdown.

Two 40-year-old hoodlums who stoned vehicles in Glen Norah were apprehended by members of the public and handed over to the police.

Luck ran out for Taurayi Chodeva and Lawrence Tanga, both aged 40, when they stoned Mr Irvine Mubayiwa’s vehicle.

Mr Mubayiwa gave chase and apprehended the two who were in the company of several youths who fled the scene when the public gave chase.

Police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident.

“I can confirm that two men were apprehended today (yesterday) in Glen Norah after they were caught damaging property,” she said.

“It is a good thing that the owners of the destroyed properties managed to pursue the perpetrators and brought them to book and with the help of the public, the two were apprehended. We commend the public for taking charge through citizen arrests and they should continue working with the police to stop such violent perpetrators.”

Retailers and vendors who spoke to The Herald said protests were retrogressive and would not bring food on their tables.

Mr Takawira Takawira, a taxi driver, said MDC-T and its allies were blind to the fact that the boycott template was no longer sustainable as many people are self-employed.

‘’When Tsvangirai used to call for stay aways just after 2000, white employers used to lock workers out and gave the stay aways a semblance of success. Now people are doing their own things, if you listen to strangers calling for stay aways, you will only have yourself to blame when your family starves,’’ he said before driving his fare to the avenues.

A vendor Mr Silas Mapfumo, said the so-called shutdown was counter-productive.

“What do you get from protesting? At the end of the day, you will go back home and realise you want to eat. It is better to do income-generating projects that bring food on the table. Soon, schools will be opening and children require fees.

“How will I be able to pay the fees if I do not sell my wares?”

Ordinary citizens who were doing their business in the CBD said it was their democratic right to go about their business without fear.

Abigail Kanyenze from Kuwadzana said: “I have every right to travel. What if I am going to seek treatment at the hospital? What if I am attending a funeral?

“Time does not wait for stayaways and demonstrations. These dubious calls will become irrelevant because Zimbabweans have now realised that they are being taken for a ride by a few individuals who are benefiting from them.”

Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Sithembiso Nyoni, slammed the protesters who destroyed property in Harare last week.

Said Minister Nyoni: “It is not fair for protesters to burn the wares of small businesspeople and vendors. These are people who are trying to make a decent living. The vendors are doing everything possible to make an honest living. By burning their wares, you are pushing them into poverty. They also have the right to sell their wares peacefully and imagine, some of them could have borrowed the money to start their businesses. How do you expect them to pay back if you burn their products?”

Last week MDC-T linked groups engaged in violent demonstrations that resulted in destruction of property in Harare.

Two vehicles belonging to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation and the police were burnt during the protests.

The protesters also destroyed shops and looted goods worth thousands of dollars.

Some of the ring-leaders of the protests were arrested and are now before the courts.

Although there were no cases of violence, police maintained a heavy presence in the city.