Starting on Monday 14 January 2019, people in Zimbabwe had been cut off from the internet.
This was the result of the result of the Southern Afrikan country’s government, under rumored instructions from General Chiwenga and the leadership of President Emerson Mnangagwa, decided to threaten and ordered all of the country’s telecommunications to shut off the internet completely.
This internet shutdown followed a week of protests by the people of Zimbabwe against the government's decision to rise fuel prices, as well as the increasing cost of living in the country.
In retaliation, the hacking group Anonymous took the matter into their own hands, and started launching DDoS attacks to the government's websites, rendering them unusable.
This is only a start. Your banking system will also fall soon. Zimbabwe government, you have become an enemy of Anonymous! Your systems are in danger! In the face of oppression, rebellion becomes our duty. Courage to our brothers who fight for freedom in Zimbabwe and Sudan ” reads a message posted by one Anonymous member on an online forum.
OpZimbabwe
While the Anonymous has long been frowned upon, the hack attacks they made throughout the years are often a form of protest, sometimes as a last attempt to gain the government's attention, as well as the world, to shine a light on something that oppressed people.
In this case, Anonymous was trying to defend the people in Zimbabwe, by protesting against the government that has denied its citizens' human rights and freedom of speech by shutting down the Internet.
Days later, Zimbabwe’s high court ordered the country’s government to restore the internet, ruling that the security minister didn't have the power to issue such directive, saying that only President Emmerson Mnangagwa has the authority to make such order.
Over the weekend, the government restored only some services, but kept some social media networks, such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Twitter inaccessible.
The move also follows the Zimbabwe’s capital in returning to normal after a week of turmoil, which resulted in at least 12 people killed.
Most shops and businesses have reopened, although many people were stocking up food items in case the country faces further unrest.
A spokesman for Zimbabwe’s largest trade union said that the authorities have arrested Japhet Moyo, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions - whose organization had been said to be the one behind the nationwide protest.
More than 600 people, including opposition members of parliament, have also been arrested in connection with this incident.