[Here we see more indications of the importance of the helicopters – which were so deadly during the Bush war. Now Mugabe is using them to show his own power…

But more importantly, I can’t help wondering if Mugabe’s regime is shaky.

Clearly this mass strike has the Govt worried. It would be great if the Opposition in Zim had weapons and the ability, and will to strike. But, sadly, there are none… Jan]

Army helicopters in show of force ahead of stayaway

Harare – Army helicopters patrolled the skies over Harare™s restive working class suburbs yesterday while on the ground plain clothes police advised residents to “leave politics alone” as tension gripped Zimbabwe two days before an opposition-led mass job stayaway. The police have also mounted roadblocks on all major roads leading into the capital™s central business district with motorists being thoroughly searched for weapons that could be used to commit violence. Extra police have also been deployed in Zimbabwe™s other four biggest cities of Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo in what police insiders said was a show of force designed to intimidate Zimbabweans from participating in the work stayaway planned for Thursday and Friday this week. Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi threatened to come hard on organisers of the stayaway should it degenerate into violence. “The police are carrying out their usual routine roadblocks – we are ready to take head-on any disturbances which might happen as a result of that stay away,” Mohadi told Zim Online. In the low income suburbs of Glen View and Glen Norah in the south of Harare, Zim Online reporters yesterday witnessed officers from the Police Intelligence Section at city council-owned beer halls and other social gathering places telling residents to leave politics and stay out of trouble. “Gentlemen, if you can help it, leave the prevailing political situation as it is. Rather, concentrate on drinking beer and leave politics alone,” a police officer told a group of men at a beer hall.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and other civic bodies are expected to order workers to stay away from work on Thursday and Friday to protest against an ongoing police blitz on informal traders and homeless people. The police campaign, which President Robert Mugabe has defended as vital to restore the beauty of Zimbabwe™s cities and towns, has seen more than 20 000 people arrested for selling goods without licences and close to a million families left without shelter after their makeshift homes were bulldozed and burnt down by the police. The job stayaway, which will inflict further damage on an already crippling economy, is also being held to protest worsening poverty and economic hardships. NCA official Jessie Majome said the groups organizing the mass action will press ahead despite the show of force by the police. She said: “We remain focused and we will not be deterred by these intimidating tactics of using helicopters and the policeZimbabweans have suffered a lot over the past five years, but the regime has remained indifferent.” Meanwhile, the police yesterday continued destroying makeshift homes and informal trading stalls in the Harare suburbs of Budiriro, Glen View and Glen Norah despite growing anger and opposition to the clean-up operation. The United Nations, Amnesty International, local churches and human rights groups have condemned the police blitz as insensitive and a violation of human rights.

From Zim Online (SA), 7 June
Source: WWW.ZwNews.Com