Former Commander of the Airforce of Zimbabwe and current Agriculture Minister Perrance Shiri said that his party, ZANU PF has no regrets over the military crackdown on protestors.
While addressing people who had gathered at the commissioning of Guruve Community Information Centre on Friday, Shiri said that the security forces could not fold their arms and watch whilst malcontents were burning the country. Said Shiri:
There are several ways to express our grievances. You can do so through Parliament, Government and peaceful protests.
However, we will not tolerate acts of violence, looting and burning of property. This is not how Zimbabweans behave. We do not regret the intervention by the soldiers.
If the police are incapacitated we will call the military to put out the fire. Did people want Harare to burn while soldiers watched? We appeal to youths to be disciplined and to appreciate the importance of peace, unity and love.