Harare, June 05, 2011 - Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) succeeded in barring
the Movevement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) president and Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai to attend his party’s much publicised rally on Saturday
after police told him to avoid criticising President Robert Mugabe and stop
his from marching.
Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC-T spokesman said Tsvangirai felt insulted by the
conditions given by the police only a day before the “peace rally”.
Close to a thousand people flocked to the Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield but
it was the MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa and a few senior
officials who turned up to address them.
Officials said more supporters could have attended were it not for the
intimidation by Zanu (PF) militias who attacked people who were making their
way to the venue.
“Before the rally kicked off, Zanu (PF) youths at Machipisa shopping center
assaulted six members of the MDC who were going to the people’s real change
peace rally at Zimbabwe grounds in Highfield,” the party said in a statement
issued after the rally.
“The matter was reported to Machipisa police station, but no arrests were
made despite the identified youths being stationed at their office just
opposite the police station.”
Other conditions given to the party were that officials must not denigrate
other parties, engage in hate speech and that Tsvangirai must report party
supporters who engaged in violence.
Chamisa said they expected the weekend Southern African Development
Community (Sadc) summit to be held in South Africa to build on the
resolutions of the Troika which met in Livingstone, Zambia and told Mugabe
to stop political violence and fully implement the power sharing agreement.
"Our position as the MDC-T is that the resolutions that were prepared in
Zambia in March should be adopted at the SADC summit to be held next week,"
he said.
"If these resolutions are adopted, then no elections will take place this
year and there will be no elections in Zimbabwe without the MDC-T."
The next MDC rally will be held at Mkoba Stadium in Gweru on June 19.
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