ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe used the country’s annual independence commemoration rally to criticise continuing protests against him.
Leaders of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, which broke with the president in July, boycotted the event.
Mr Mugabe warned that “protests don’t pay because they usually end up being violent.
“How does it help to go on the streets just to show that you can throw stones, stoning the police?”
He also accused former unity government prime minister Morgan Tsvangrai, whose opposition Movement for Democratic Change party is involved in the demonstrations, of regime-change ambitions.
“I heard Tsvangirai calling for a coalition as the only way to unseat the government,” he said.
The 92-year-old Zanu-PF president commended the security forces “for the calm that has been, the peace that has been.”
Protests have escalated over the last few weeks following delays of pay for civil servants, nurses, teachers, police and soldiers. Police used tear gas and batons on protesters last week.
