Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) set the stage on Monday for a new showdown with the security forces by vowing to ignore a ban on a mass protest against President Robert Mugabe.
After reading a notice from the commander of police in Harare ordering the party not to proceed with a march set for Wednesday, MDC secretary general Tendai Biti said there was no reason why a previous agreement to stage the demonstration should be ripped up.
”We are going ahead with our procession as agreed between the ZRP [Zimbabwean Republic Police] and ourselves,” Biti told reporters.
”We are proceeding as per the route agreed with the ZRP. The illegality of the action by the police is in blatant disregard of the new provisions of the Public Order and Security Act.”
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and several other senior opposition figures were beaten up by the security forces when they tried to stage a banned mass rally in Harare last March.
With joint parliamentary and presidential elections due to be held in March, the government recently watered down its strict laws on the holding of protests and any ban should be subject to appeal.
However, the late timing of the prohibition order effectively rules out the possibility of the MDC overturning the ban.
Biti said the opposition had shown good faith by asking for permission to stage the march more than a fortnight in advance.
”In terms of the new law, the obligation of the organiser is to give at least seven days’ notice. We gave them notification on January 8 so we more than complied with the new provisions.” There was no immediate response from the police.
The MDC has demanded the elections be conducted on a level playing field, with Tsvangirai threatening on Sunday to boycott the polls if the government does not set up an independent electoral commission and clean up the voters’ roll.
The former British colony, led by Mugabe since independence in 1980, is in economic meltdown. The official annual rate of inflation is put at 8 000%, but economists believe it to be nearer 50 000%.
Unemployment is running at about 80% while basic foodstuffs such as cooking oil and sugar are now a scarce commodity in the one-time regional breadbasket. — Sapa-AFP