Tsvangirai Star Rally Hangs in Balance

Financial Gazette (Harare)

Njabulo Ncube

3 June 2011

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s star rally, scheduled for Harare on Saturday, is in limbo as tension escalated within law enforcement agents following the murder of a police inspector in Glen View by alleged supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) on Sunday.

Police sources said the rally was likely to be cancelled over fears it could trigger more violence and compromise State security.

There are fears that violent clashes could erupt between MDC-T supporters and law enforcement agents, reportedly seething with anger over Inspector Petros Mutedza’s death on duty.

Heavily armed riot police have maintained a heavy presence in Glen View since Sunday night following the murder of the policeman.

While police maintain Mutedza was killed in cold blood by MDC-T supporters as he and other police details tried to stop an illegal meeting at a bar in Glen View, Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party is adamant the policeman was killed by members of the public as the law enforcement agents attempted to drive away people from a bar.

The MDC-T claims more than 30 of the party’s supporters have been arrested since the death of Mutedza.

Some of those in police custody include Last Maengahama, an MDC-T national executive member and his three brothers, Stanley, Edison and Lazarus; Odius, Lloyd and Precious Chitanda – all related to Glen View North chairperson of the party, a Mrs Chitanda; Stefan Takaedzwa; and Mavis Madzokere, the wife of councillor Madzokere and her sister-in-law, Ollyn Madzokere.

The party charged that the arrest of MDC-T members was “a clear attempt by the police and ZANU-PF to portray the MDC as a violent party, which it clearly is not. The MDC is calling for professional, non-partisan and impartial investigations in this matter. Only through this can the real offenders be brought to justice”.

Wayne Bvudzijena, the national police spokesperson, told The Financial Gazette that it was up to the police presiding over the area to decide whether to allow or cancel the rally scheduled for Glamis Stadium.

“The regulating authority for the area will make an assessment of the notification and then make the necessary decision,” said Bvudzijena. “But I can’t speculate on what the regulator will do.”

The regulatory organ for the rally in question would be the Harare District of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Under the controversial Public Order and Security Act, political parties and other organisations are required to notify the police of their intentions to hold a rally or public gathering.

But since the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, police have been reluctant to authorise public gatherings.

Last week, police arrested two ZimRights employees for allegedly holding an unsanctioned meeting in Tsholotsho.

Insiders within the MDC-T said there was the likelihood the party would defy any police order attempting to stop the rally in which Tsvangirai is expected to brief his party faithful on the latest developments around the shaky government of national unity.

Party national organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa, said the police had no authority to stop the rally and that the MDC-T had nothing to do with the murder of the policeman.

“Our plans are afoot to proceed with the rally. It gives the opportunity to (party) president Tsvangirai to introduce to the people the new leadership after a successful, epoch-making congress held in Bulawayo in April,” said Chamisa.

“The rally is intended to give our views to the people on the road-map to elections and our resolutions of the congress that have a fundamental bearing on issues of basic necessities such as electricity and the general cost of basic living, which is spiraling out of control.”

The former MDC-T spokesperson said cancelling the planned rally would be a violation of their right to freedom of assembly and association.

“We are a peaceful party that has fallen victim to violence; we are against violence whether it’s (from) the MDC or ZANU-PF. We also do not support violence against our law enforcement agents. We expect the normal MDC behaviour on Saturday. Our natural default setting as MDC is peace. Our DNA is calmness,” he said.

The MDC-T is adamant the murder of the policeman would be used against the party at the June 11 SADC special session on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

In its position paper circulated at the last SADC summit in Windhoek, Namibia, last month, ZANU-PF fingered the MDC-T for an escalation in cases of politically-motivated violence.

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