The #ShutdownZimbabwe stay away seems to have fallen on deaf ears as life today looked all normal in Harare.
The planned mass stay away was called by University Students, America based pressure group Pachedu.
The protests were called so as to pressure government to act on the crippling transport blues that face citizens daily, as well as a demand to reduce University fees among others.
In response to calls for a mass stay away, the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa reversed its decision to bar private transport operators from plying the country’s roads and thus effectively ended the monopoly of the state owned Zupco.
The government in 2020 barred privately owned commuter omnibuses (locally known as combis) from thr country’s roads ostensibly for not obeying traffic rules and regulations.
However buckling under pressure Mnangagwa said his government will now allowed private citizens to import busses duty free to augment Zupco, which has enjoyed a public transportation monopoly for 2yrs.
After banning private commuter bus operators from plying their trade forced those still interested in the business to bring their vehicles under the Zupco umbrella, where they were provided with fuel and paid for their services at the end of each month.
However, due to the continued fall in the value of the local currency and late payment, most bus owners had withdrawn their vehicles from service. This resulted in crippling transport problems that have seen passengers spend hours at various bus termini waiting for transport.
The transport shortages have led to a growth in the number of pirate taxis which have taken advantage of the situation. The pirate taxis are popularly known as mshikashika.
Our reporters took a tour of the Harare Central Business District {CBD} and found all businesses operating as usual. Shops, supermarkets, banks and other retail outlets operated normally while there was brisk vehicular traffic on the roads.
In the morning as we drove to work, all roads were full of traffic and bustling with life.
Teachers and nurses last week seemed to throw their weight behind the calls for a shutdown, to express their grievances on the cost of living, poor working conditions and low salaries whilst university students said they were joining it to express their anger over high tuition fees.
In the early hours of Monday, armed police were seen patrolling the streets in Harare as they looked prepared to quell anticipated protests.
Last weekend police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was unaware of the planned protests which were scheduled to kick on today.
“I am not aware of the purported transport marches or any protests. Anyone who wants to engage in any sort of demonstration has to approach the local police station,” he said.
But in an interview with 263 times today, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition {CiZC} spokesperson Mr. Obert Masaraure said they wanted to protest last Friday but they married the protest to the Monday shutdown.
He added that the promised shutdown had yielded results as the government immediately moved to address the transport shortages by bringing back private operators into the sector.
“Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition had planned a march on the 6th of May, which was then shelved when we decided to marry the protest for efficient public transport with a Monday shutdown.
“At the end of the day it’s not like there was no protest. The protest was there but the intended protest on Friday was married to the shutdown of today and it’s a success because the crisis was resolved.
“We got the solution on Saturday and transport has improved. We are glad that it was a success,” he said.