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MDC-T kicked out of Darwendale again
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
November 03, 2012

An MDC-T rally which was scheduled for the 28th of October 2012 at Darwendale stadium was postponed by local council to pave way for a football match. This comes as the second cancellation of an MDC-T rally in Darwendale after a previously scheduled rally was disrupted by Zanu-PF militia and the army in July this year. The event had already been cleared by the Darwendale police but the rally organisers were informed on the day the rally was supposed to take place that the stadium was not booked for and council went on to bar barred the rally.

The MDC-T Provincial Organising Secretary for Mashonaland West, Mr.Wilson Makanyaire confirmed the incident saying that the rally was initially supposed to be held on the 21st of October 2012 but had been rescheduled for the 28th of October 2012. The MDC-T was however notified by the council that a soccer match had been scheduled for the same weekend at the same venue hence the rally could not go ahead.

"It is a very bad situation for us as a party, with the end result of us appearing unorganized whereas all arrangements were done on time . . . ..The police are not to blame because we were given our police clearance in time but at the end of the day we face difficulties with the venues that we would have booked for our rallies", said Makanyaire.

On the 25th of July this year the Crisis Report published a detailed list of incidences where meetings and rallies by the MDC's and Civil Society had been disrupted across the country in the past 2 years. Speaking on the emerging trend around clamp down of free political activity, Crisis Coalition Spokesperson Thabani Nyoni said.

"This is an automatic clamp down on political voices and clear evidence of a lack of desire to open up and democratize the public and political space by the Zanu PF side of government and state security functions."

Mr Samuel Murindi an MDC-T supporter in Banket told the Crisis Report Team, that there are concerns around the extent of Zanu PF's influence on council's day to day running in the town.

"The funny and very unjust part of the situation is that Zanu PF meetings and rallies are never cancelled nor disrupted", said Murindi.

"All parties should be urged not to infer with the meetings and rallies of other parties since such incidences are the signs and symptoms of repression, and causes of violence," said Tendai Muchengeti an MDC-T supporter.

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