INFORMATION, Publicity and Broadcasting Services deputy minister Energy Mutodi yesterday warned that government would not hesitate to shut down the Internet again if need arises and claimed Zimbabweans were primitive and have no understanding of their constitutional rights.
Mutodi’s claim came in the face of a recent High Court ruling that outlawed a recent Internet shutdown ordered by government to control flow of information during riots.
The government was roundly criticised for showing dictatorial tendencies by shutting down the Internet .
However, Mutodi said government would not hesitate to do it again because Zimbabweans are still “backward”.
“The Internet shutdown was not illegal as such. The only issue that arose is that the person (State Security minister Owen Ncube) who ordered the shutdown is not the rightful person to do that,” Mutodi said.
“Government can invoke the Interception of Communications Act because that is part of our law. Whenever the need arises, government will invoke that.
People can criticise all they want, but that is the law.
“People that say Zimbabwe is modern are mistaken. Zimbabwe still has primitive people with primitive minds who don’t understand the meaning of peaceful demonstrations. When people go and loot, cause violence instead of peaceful demonstrations, then is that not a sign that we are still backward.”
