The people of Zimbabwe are bracing themselves for a renewal of violent conflict on the streets.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has called for a mass 'stay-away' tomorrow and Wednesday, in protest against Mugabe's brutal and disastrous rule.
The government's reaction is expected to be swift. They will attempt to disperse demonstrators and force people to go to work, in order to brand the strikes a failure.
Spearheading their attack will be members of Department 5, a shadowy but highly effective hit squad linked to the Special Air Services. Sources say that every man in Department 5 has been promised US$1,000 per day - a huge amount in Zimbabwe today - if they go in hard against demonstrators.
Their victims won't be hard to find. On the streets young opposition |
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Shadowy hit squads set to break up union demos and force people to go to work |
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activists will set up small barricades and hand out leaflets.
A member of Department 5 told me: "We will go in early, wearing civilian clothes. We will identify the ring-leaders setting up the barricades. When the marching and singing begins, we will apparently join in. Then some of us will heat things up by stoning a few cars. This will be the excuse for the troops to come in under the guise of rescuing the situation. We will help them target the ring-leaders.”
Government minister Elliot Manyika has already called on Zanu-PF youths and war veterans to prepare for a campaign of violence against the opposition, which he said had to be "silenced at all costs."
It was Manyika who led the cheerleading when the ruling party’s central committee met on Friday to endorse Mugabe running for a further five-year term.
FIRST POSTED APRIL 2, 2007
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