Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana has commended the Zimbabwean public for “ignoring” calls to embark on a stay away by pressure group Tajamuka.
Writing on microblogging site, Twitter, Mangwana said:
Zimbabweans understand that 1 of the keys to the success of this nation is productivity. It is a commitment to focussed effort.
It is commendable that we have all chosen not to waste a moment in the pursuit of our national goals by ignoring unhelpful calls to stay away from work.
However, most of the people who responded to Mangwana’s tweet on social media were evidently angered by his remarks.
The Zimbabwe Socialist Labour Party reminded the government of its promise to create jobs. They wrote:
Would it not be fulfilling our dream if the government fulfilled its promises of thousands of jobs, new hospitals, an abundance of cash if we elected ZANU PF into office?
1…Get us the jobs and we shall work
2…Provide health services and we shall stay healthy and work harder.
Another Twitter user, Fanya said that the government is now taking Zimbabweans for idiots. She said:
You guys are now taking advantage of our perceived gullibility, fix things and stop taking us for idiots, for 39 years we have never reached this level of power cuts and all you can tell us is “thanks for ignoring the call for a stay away”.
Zim@goda told Mangwana that electricity is a prerequisite for production to take place. He said:
Tell me @nickmangwana how does one produce if power is switched off at 0330hrs, now I’m seated no production and power will be back probably around 2200hrs. So I’m simply staying away even though I don’t concur with the stay away.
LordSteveBry opined that people will not stay away for fear of losing their jobs;
It is not even that Cde companies closed ages ago and the remnant left formally employed are scared to lose basa iwo asirikuwanikwa that they feed their families. It is not an option but fear……. Ur handlers should give us jobs they promised us in the last election.