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Herald Reporter

MDC-Alliance  leader Mr Nelson Chamisa has threatened to unleash more violence on the streets after yesterday’s planned demonstrations failed to take off following a prohibition order issued by the police.

The police invoked the Public Order and Security Act and issued a prohibition notice against the intended demonstration after the regulatory authority gathered intelligence that the demonstrations would degenerate into violence.

The ban was eventually confirmed by the High Court after it dismissed an application by MDC-Alliance challenging the prohibition.

Addressing journalists yesterday, Mr Nelson Chamisa remained intransigent after he vowed that he would continue with a wave of illegal demonstrations across the country.

“We are clear that this is a long winter of discontent and expression of ourselves. It is not going to be a walk in the park, it is not instant coffee, it is not going to be any easy because it is a struggle. It is the people’s struggle. We are going to pursue every avenue, there is not going to be any rest until the people of Zimbabwe achieve a people’s Government. A people’s Government is going to be a creature of a settlement that has to come through comprehensive reforms, through a transition mechanism through an understanding that a roadmap we put on the table is followed,” said Mr Chamisa.

“Yes, you are going to see more of the action, peaceful action in other cities and in Harare. In fact, this is not the end, it is a beginning, what you are seeing is just a teaser, an introduction, we are going to be in the street until the State responds to the streets because hunger, poverty is on the streets so we want to activate the streets until the resolution is achieved. We have multiple million steps to take, we are clear in terms of the next course of action we are going to take, we will continue to mobilise.”

Mr Chamisa repeated the same allegations of legitimacy of the present Government despite the fact that the Constitutional Court together with local, regional and international organisations gave a clean bill of health to the July 30 harmonised elections which President Mnangagwa won.

Aggrieved by the presidential election result, Mr Chamisa mounted a court challenge with the Constitutional Court in terms of the Constitution which was eventually dismissed for lack of merit.

He has refused to accept both the election result and the ConCourt ruling and has spurned a call for dialogue by President Mnangagwa.