Chengetai Zvauya
HARARE – Police have banned a demonstration slated for tomorrow by MDC Alliance against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), arguing that it does not have enough manpower to control the crowds.
Officer Commanding Police Harare Central District Chief Superintendent Albert Ncube, wrote a letter to MDC secretary general Douglas Mwonzora notifying the party on the ban.
He said the district was engaged in final preparation for elections deployment scheduled for July 30 2018.
“Our members are engaged in training and collections of kit as well as final deployment strategies and other political rallies.
“You are advised that the venue at which you intend to gather, that is, the Africa Unity Square is currently being utilised by the Ministry of Sports Arts and Recreation from Tuesday July 17 2018 to Saturday August 4 2018 who are celebrating the Arts, Culture and Heritage policy of Zimbabwe,” Ncube said in a letter dated July 20.
“You have already applied for a star rally scheduled for the 28th of July which we have sanctioned. You have held two similar demonstrations against ZEC on the 5th of June 2018 and 11th July over the same issues.”
MDC Alliance chairman Morgan Komichi confirmed that his party had received a letter from the police today notifying them that it had not sanctioned their demonstration.
“The police have banned us from demonstrating tomorrow and going to ZEC offices but we have already mobilised our supporters for tomorrow and we are going ahead with our demonstration as per our instruction from our leader Nelson Chamisa,” said Komichi.
“We are planning to march from Africa Unity Square to ZEC offices in Kwame Nkurumah Avenue, being led by our party leaders.”
Mwonzora said they had written a letter to police on July 20 2018 notifying them for a series of a peaceful demonstration against ZEC in terms of section 25 of Public Order and Security Act chapter 11:17.
