BULAWAYO– A section of Bulawayo residents have threatened to protest against the arrest and conviction of Chief Ndiweni by blocking all roads leading to the central business district until he is freed, Zim Morning Post has learnt.
A tweet from Mthwakazi public relations department stated that travelling to Bulawayo on Monday is not safe as residents will conduct blockade on all major roads leading to the CBD.
“With effect from today travel to Bulawayo at your own risk we want to shut all the roads leading to Bulawayo until chief Ndiweni has been freed,” reads the tweet.
Chief Ndiweni was sentenced to 24 months in prison with the suspension of six months making it an 18 month prison sentence with a charge of destruction of property of a villager.
His conviction on Friday shook the grounds as the MDC opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said his arrest would cause a national turmoil and he demanded the immediate release of the chief.
“This attack opens yet another fresh national wound that will be difficult to heal. We demand the immediate release of the chief and his subjects,” said Chamisa.
Meanwhile these threats from Bulawayo residents comes at a time when the government has deployed the police to siege the city of kings following the planned demonstrations.
The court has also prohibited the planned demo and there is heavy presence of police at strategic areas known as ‘hotspots’ of violence in the City of Kings.
