My first time experience, aweful

Sometime last week, i posted something on my facebook page that read "A government that fails to pay its civil servants is unfit to rule."

This was just after academics and non- academic staff at Nust declared a strike citing governments failure to pay them their dues. It was the very same week where the University of Zimbabwe declared a strike, resulting  in students at the Zimbabwe's oldest university demonstrating in solidarity with their lecturers.
Initially, i posted that because I believe that the manner in which a government treats its civil servants is one of the many yard sticks that can be used to evaluate its competency.

When i posted that statement, i had no idea that it will generate so much interests amongst my Facebook friends, neither did i anticipate some insults from those whom we do not share the same views.

As the debate was raging over what I'd posted was raging on, a Marwala Gumbo Tawanda Brian got all emotional and took it to my inbox where he accused me of making fun of him on my wall post.

Annoyed by this behaviour and how he was getting personal, i told the him that no one forced him to comment on my post and that if the debate is fast becoming too much for him he should "just shut up." I also told him to stop messaging me and comment on my post and show the whole world how myopic and irrational he is. 

The Facebook message i received

I never anticipated the kinds of insults that followed this message. I assumed that he will be sensible enough and realise that it is totally unnecessary to get emotional over a Facebook post but alas! I only added fuel to a  raging fire.
This Brian guy literally called me an "MDC whore" and threatened to come after me for criticising the government.
Since i joine Facebook in 2010, id never encountered such hatespeech. This was my first time and i admit, it was an awefully scarey experince.
For a moment, i was shocked. I wondered where such insults and hate speech were emanating from. I had just been branded a "whore" for exercising my freedom of expression.
It was at this point that I realised that I was being threatened by an anonymous face for exercising my freedom of expression. It was at this very moment that it hit me that my life could be in danger and I was really scared. I dont know him but what does he know about me? What gives him the power to threaten me like this?
 Out of fear, i blocked the guy so that he may never see or comment on my Facebook post. But by the time i blocked him, it was too late as he had already posted another insult on my

I then went on an "unfriending spree" where i literally unfriended all my Facebook friends that use pseudo names and those that i do not know even though we share a lot of mutual friends.
But as soon as i'd accomplished  my mission, i realised that my efforts could have been in vain because if I am under surveillance, the person monitoring my online activities could be that one person that i least expect. But honestly, when will people learn that you just don't go around insulting people because you don't share the same view with them?
When will they learn that it is improper to insult people online?
When will they learn that hate speech never solves anything?
And since when does criticising the government constitute to being an MDC supporter or "whore"? Some things demand logic an the ability to approach certain issues objectively and the ability to put your emotions and political affiliations aside.
I refused to be intimidated.You may insult me all you want but i will continue toexercise my freedom of expression as enshrined by Section 61 of the Zimbabwean Constitution.