[Mugabe said he took power by the barrel of a gun and that he intended keeping it that way. He is true to his word on that. The MDC think they can scream and shout and demonstrate and that will bring Mugabe down. WRONG!!! Do you want to know how Mugabe and ZANU(PF) will fall? Answer: When an ARMY invades Zimbabwe and shoots the Zimbabwe army to bits and crushes ZANU(PF) and Mugabe through violence. That’s how. All other tricks will prove to be a complete waste of time. The MDC could demonstrate for a 100 years and it will make no difference whatsoever. Jan]

Harare – The government has put the army on standby after state intelligence reported that the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party might this week call for mass protests against last month™s poll result. Government sources last night told Zim Online that the state™s spy Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) has reported that there might be plans by the MDC to disrupt independence silver jubilee celebrations this week by calling mass demonstrations by its multitudes of supporters in urban areas. Zimbabwe marks 25 years of independence from Britain today. A joint security command comprising army police and CIO commanders decided to step up security measures following the intelligence reports with the police ordered to maintain a visible presence this week while the army was put on high alert to crush any protests, according to the sources. “The army was put on standby last Friday. The police will maintain a visible presence while the army will only come in if there are any disturbances,” said a senior government official, who did not want to be named.

Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi would not be drawn to say whether the army was specifically on high alert this week because of fears the MDC might call street protests. But he vowed that the army was ready to crush what he called “warmongers” out to disturb peace in the country. He said: “The army is there to defend the country and is always available to safeguard the peace we enjoy. We are not going to stand by and watch war mongers disturb peace.” The MDC has hinted it might opt for civil protests and unrest against alleged vote rigging by Zanu PF during the disputed March 31 poll in which the ruling party won 78 seats against the MDC™s 41. But MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube told journalists in Harare last week that the opposition party, which is also challenging results of 13 constituencies in court, was still to decide on what form of “political resistance action” it was going to take and when to do so. Ncube could not be reached last night to establish whether the MDC was planning calling street protests this week. President Robert Mugabe two weeks ago told a gathering at Zimbabwe™s embassy in Italy, where he had gone to attend the pope™s funeral that the government would crush any demonstrations by the MDC against the poll result. Just before the election, army commanders recalled all soldiers who were off duty or on leave and those recently retired from service back to the barracks to beef up manpower in case of any eventuality during or after the poll.

From Zim Online (SA), 18 April
Source: WWW.ZwNews.Com