Zimbabwe is going to be rocked by more ”illegal” protests following Wednesday’s demonstrations in which 50 people were arrested for defying the recently imposed three-month ban on public protests, says Lovemore Madhuku, chair of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA).
Madhuku said his group is going to ”rubbish the ban” by getting involved in fortnightly protests demanding a new constitution under which next year’s presidential elections could be held. He said that this Friday, branches of his organisation outside Harare would embark on further protests. ”This year we are likely to deliver change,” he said.
The NCA will be assisted by the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu), whose president said they would embark on a stay-away from next Monday.
A media confererence held in Johannesburg this week brought together representatives of the opposing Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions led by Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, as well as Jenni Williams of Women of Zimbabwe Arise, and Promise Mkhwananzi of Zinasu.
A source at the meeting said the meeting of the two MDC factions is part of a broader attempt to bring the two factions together to ”confront the regime”.