In Bulawayo it was business as usual with commuter omnibuses plying their usual routes without any disturbances.
But some people who spoke to Studio 7 said they are in support of the Harare protests saying they hope they will also come to Bulawayo.
Although there had been reports circulating on social media that commuter omnibuses would stop carrying passengers from 3pm in the afternoon, the operators continued with business as usual without any disturbances.
Some commuter omnibus drivers, who refused to speak on tape, said they are in support of their colleagues in Harare and are bracing for similar protests starting Wednesday.
Bekithemba Nyathi, provincial secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, said it is good that the people are expressing their discontent over the country’s problems without any political parties involved, showing that no one is instigating them, contrary to what has been reported in the state media.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions women’s regional chairperson, Grace Mathe, said the majority of people in the country are disgruntled by the deteriorating economic situation in the country. Mathe said she supports the protests and hopes that they would come to Bulawayo and also spread countrywide.
Barbara Tanyanyiwa, the national secretary of the Commercial Workers Union of Zimbabwe, expressed similar views, adding that ordinary Zimbabweans are tired of the suffering that they are experiencing.
With Monday’s protests coming soon after recent demonstrations at the Beitbridge border town over the import ban on basic commodities, there are increasing fears that the country could plunge into uncontrollable civil dissent.
