Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

Two Zim opposition rallies blocked
The Times
June 01, 2008

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=776994

Harare - Zimbabwean police prevented the opposition from staging two rallies in the resort towns of Hwange and Victoria Falls that were due to be addressed by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the party said. The rallies were supposed to have been held on Saturday, but police blocked opposition supporters from entering into the two stadiums were the rallies were due to be held. "Our two rallies that were supposed to be held yesterday in Hwange and Victoria Falls were blocked by the police," Nelson Chamisa, chief spokesman for the MDC told AFP. "The police are literally trying to be difficult, but acting on the instructions of Zanu PF," he added in reference to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai are due to square up in a run-off presidential election at the end of the month. Tsvangirai won a first round on March 29 but fell just short of an overall majority needed to topple Mugabe, who has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980. "They are trying to disenable us to reach out to the people," said Chamisa. "This is a deliberate attempt meant to ensure that there is a blackout on our programmes and so that the president (Tsvangirai) will not be visible on the ground to suit their propaganda and agenda." Under the terms of an agreement mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki in the run-up to the March 29 polls, the opposition was meant to be free to hold rallies but was meant to notify the police beforehand. However the police have been accused of ignoring the agreement and issued an edict in April banning any political rallies in the capital Harare. There was no immediate reaction from the police.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP