By A Correspondent- Former Finance Minister, Advocate Tendai Biti, has blasted government for failing to prioritise the basic needs of citizens while availing resources to crush citizens’ voices through demonstrations.

Biti’s remarks come after the State blocked MDC initiated demonstrations slated for the 16th, 19th, 20th and 21st of August in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Masvingo respectively.

The government cited the need to avoid chaos as the main reason for banning the protests.

Police said that they had discovered concrete evidence to suspicion that the MDC wanted to conduct violent demonstrations.

Police crushed the Harare demonstration, leaving several demonstrators nursing injuries.

Soldiers and police were also heavily present in other cities, a development viewed by some as a measure to scare off civilians from protesting against the increasing economic meltdown under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Posting on Microblogging site, Twitter, the MDC VP said it was mind boggling that government had resources to thwart citizens’ constitutional right to demonstrate yet it was failing to provide basic social services:

He said:

“It is amazing that a regime that can’t feed its people , provide power, fuel and medicine to its people, provide textbooks to its children, provide decent wages to its workers, provide decent pensions to its elderly will find such energy, zeal and resources to crush its people.

The MDC is arguing that a huge deficit in electricity, food, medicines, fuel and several other essentials is the reason why the demonstrations were initiated.

On the other hand, the ruling government views the demonstrations as a mere way of planning to overthrow the government.”