/ 11 March 2007

Zim riot police gear up for opposition rally

Blue-helmeted riot police cordoned off roads leading to a Zimbabwean township early Sunday where an opposition prayer rally was due to take place.

Riot police in open-topped trucks milled around the area.

A coalition of churches and civic groups has called a prayer rally in Highfield suburb despite a ban on political meetings.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena told a press conference on Saturday that ”genuine Christians” should heed the ban and not attend the rally.

A spokesperson for the Save Zimbabwe Campaign (SZC), which is organising the rally, told the media that it was still going to take place.

”It is still expected to go ahead, but if not we’ll have to go back to the drawing board,” said SZC spokesman Lucky Moyo. — Sapa-dpa