A Zimbabwean coalition of civic and political groups on Thursday vowed to hold widespread anti-government demonstrations ahead of next month’s World Cup cricket matches.
Six of the 54 World Cup cricket matches are due to be held in Zimbabwe in February and March. The organiser of the planned demonstrations, Lovemore Madhuku, who heads the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), issued the threats as police warned they would crack down on anyone trying to disrupt the matches.
”We will hold demonstrations before, during and after the cricket matches,” said Madhuku, hinting that the mass action could start as early as next week.
Madhuku said the protest marches were not aimed at cricket, ”but the focus is to expose to the international community the excesses of the Zimbabwean regime”.
”You cannot treat Zimbabwe as a venue for international gatherings because Zimbabwe cannot be classified as part of the civilised international community,” said Madhuku.
”Have they ever held cricket matches in Cuba, or in Iraq or Korea?” Zimbabwe will co-host the World Cup with South Africa and Kenya from February 8 to March 23.
Only a deterioration in the security situation in Zimbabwe is now likely to stop the six matches from going ahead. This week the English and Wales Cricket Board decided to proceed with their fixture in Zimbabwe on February 13 despite pressure from the British government to boycott the match.
The Australian government said on Thursday it had all but given up its effort to persuade the Australian team to boycott their match in Zimbabwe.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) have set up a committee to monitor the security situation here. Police this week accused the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is a member of the NCA, of planning to disrupt the cricket matches, alleging the Harare mayor was involved in the plot.
Mayor Elias Mudzuri, who belongs to the MDC, was arrested at the weekend during a meeting with the city’s residents to discuss water problems.
”Through these meetings, mayor Mudzuri was taking a lead in organising the intended demonstrations,” said Harare’s senior assistant police commissioner Faustino Mazango.
Police have also arrested an opposition MDC lawmaker, Job Sikhala, for allegedly being found in possession of subversive documents and for suspected links to the torching of a luxury commuter bus in Harare on Monday.
Critics of President Robert Mugabe have been calling for a boycott of the world cup matches in Zimbabwe in protest at the alleged human rights abuses committed by his government. – Sapa-AFP