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Rallies ban lifted
MISA-Zimbabwe
June 29, 2007

The police on 28 June 2007 lifted the draconian ban on demonstrations and political rallies in Harare and other parts of the country which had been imposed in February this year in a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association.

The bans had been in force since February and March in four districts in the capital, Harare South, Central, Suburban and Mbare. Police chief spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, however, said the police would not hesitate to re-impose the bans in the event of any political violence and acts of hooliganism in the future.

In separate public notices published in The Herald on 21 February 2007 the officers commanding Mbare and Harare South chief superintendents Tsitsi Sadzamari and Thomsen Toddie Jangara respectively, said all demonstrations and rallies in the two respective districts had been banned until 20 May 2007.

The police cited the violence, looting and destruction of property in Highfield on 18 February and Kambuzuma on 4 February 2007 as reasons for the ban. On the 18th, police violently stopped a High Court sanctioned rally in Highfield by the opposition MDC leading to violent clashes between riot police and supporters of the main opposition party.

The police invoked the restrictive Public Order and Security Act (POSA) to effect the bans under Section 27 which allows for the temporary prohibition of the holding of public gatherings within police districts for a period not exceeding three months.

Background

The clashes in Highfield came a day after the High Court granted the MDC an order allowing them to proceed with their rally to launch its 2008 presidential campaign at the Zimbabwe grounds in the same suburb.

In her judgment Justice Anne-Marie Gowora said the police had not issued the proper prohibition order in their bid to bar the rally from proceeding accordingly. The government still proceeded to disrupt the rally despite the MDC winning its urgent application barring the police from interfering with or disrupting the rally leading to the violent clashes.

In his opposing affidavit, Chief Superintendent Jangara had argued that the police did not have sufficient manpower and that the MDC supporters had violent tendencies as the reasons for banning the rally.

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