HARARE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean police on Thursday reiterated that there won't be any anti-government protests planned by the opposition on Friday and warned the public to obey the country's laws.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said in a statement that the police were aware of various attempts by shadowy groups to incite the public through social media to engage in violent acts in some parts of the country.
He said some of the group members were claiming to possess firearms, whom the police would regard as terrorists.
While refuting claims by the groups that the security services supported illegal demonstrations, Nyathi stressed the security forces remained in defense of the country's security and safety of all Zimbabweans.
"These are blatant lies, meant to confuse the public and cause alarm and despondency in the security services," Nyathi said.
Despite that the country is under a tight COVID-19 lockdown which includes a dusk-to-dawn curfew, the opposition in conjunction with some civic organizations have called for mass demonstrations on Friday to protest alleged rampant corruption in government.
As of Wednesday, the country has recorded 2,879 COVID-19 cases including 41 deaths and 887 recoveries. Enditem
