No Focus, No Strategy, July 31 Protests Were Bound To Fail - Gutu
Former MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu believes that the 31 July anti-government protests failed because the leaders weren’t focused and strategic.
Gutu observed that the organisers shot themselves in the foot when they announced that their intention was to dethrone the incumbent government and replace it with a National Transitional Authority (NTA).
No government on earth will fold its arms and allow and allow protestors to plot its downfall, Gutu argued. He said:
Fundamentally, it (Friday’s mass action) lacked thought leadership. There was neither focus nor strategy.
At one point, the organisers told the nation that it was an anti-corruption demonstration, whilst on the other hand, the same organisers pronounced that the demonstration was targeted at felling the Zanu PF government.
… Naturally, the government became extremely agitated when the organisers publicly proclaimed that the demonstration essentially was targeted at overthrowing the government and ushering in a so-called National Transitional Authority.
In all fairness, no serious government under the sun would stand aside, watch and fold its arms while some people publicly declare that they are going to demonstrate in order to overthrow them.
Jacob Ngarivhume, the main organiser of the protests was arrested nearly two weeks ago on allegations of inciting public violence.
Several political activists went into hibernation, fearful of State retaliation, for allegedly planning the protests. The government said the planned demonstrations were an insurrection and the organisers “terrorists”.
