Zimbabwe’s main opposition on Monday accused President Robert Mugabe’s party of treating with disdain key inter-party talks by mounting a crackdown on its supporters.
”We continue to receive disturbing reports from across the country of violence against our supporters,” said Nelson Chamisa, the spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The MDC is engaged in talks with the ruling Zanu-PF party hosted by neighbouring South Africa that are aimed at defusing political tensions ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections due next year.
South African President Thabo Mbeki was given the mandate to mediate in the talks by the Southern African Development Community in March.
This followed a violent crackdown against the opposition earlier that month that left at least two people dead and dozens of opposition officials and activists severely injured.
”The regime is working hard to shrink the democratic space of ordinary Zimbabweans,” Chamisa charged.
The spokesperson claimed that the police had turned down 103 applications for rallies made by the MDC since the talks began, despite the fact that war veterans and other supporters of President Robert Mugabe have freely staged marches in towns and cities countrywide.
”We condemn the incessant attempts by the regime and security agents to tamper with the people’s basic freedoms of assembly, speech and association,” Chamisa said.
He said MDC member of Parliament Paul Madzore had been summoned for police questioning on Monday following a weekend rally.
Last week state prosecutors withdrew terrorism charges against more than 20 opposition activists, including Madzore, who were arrested in March and detained for several months.
The MDC has said it will demand compensation from the state for the detention of the activists, several of whom were severely assaulted in police custody. ‒ Sapa-DPA