By Staff Reporter
IN an uncompromising security directive aimed at thwarting civil disruption and economic stagnation, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi issued a stern national decree ordering all commercial, border, and civic functions across the republic to remain fully operational, warning that the military will tolerate no work stoppages or shutdown attempts.
Speaking before high-ranking defense personnel, security officials, and public administrators, the army chief delivered a firm, double-barreled statement combining a sharp vernacular warning with an explicit command for total economic activity.
Opening with a direct reminder in Shona, Lieutenant General Tapfumaneyi declared, “HANDITI MANGWANA ARIKUSVIKA!” before establishing the high command’s mandatory expectation for national stability: “We want people to go to work. We want the shops to function. We want the borders to function. We want every aspect of Zimbabwean society to function.”
The declaration carried immediate weight across the nation’s political and economic landscape. Observers noted that when the general coughs, the country stops breathing—a reality reflected in the rapid response of state enforcement agencies and commercial sectors following the address.
In the hours following the mandate, security presence was visibly reinforced along major industrial corridors, commercial centers, and international transit points, including the Beitbridge border post. The heightened posture serves a dual purpose: securing vital supply chains against potential sabotage while delivering an unmistakable deterrent to groups advocating for coordinated stay-aways.
Invoking the military’s constitutional mandate under Section 212 to uphold public order and national security, defense officials signaled that maintaining open markets, fluid cross-border trade, and an active workforce remains an essential pillar of national stability that the security apparatus will strictly enforce.
