Zimbabwe police have deployed throughout the capital, Harare, in anticipation of a protest by a united group of opposition parties that includes a former vice-president.
Advertisement
The protesters responded to the clampdown by throwing stones at the police while some set tyres ablaze and others pulled down the sign for a street named after Mugabe. He has ruled the country since independence from white minority rule 36 years ago and has refused to name a successor, insisting he wants to rule until he dies.
Zimbabwe opposition parties have gone to the court seeking an overturn of a police ban against their planned march in Harare this Friday to push for electoral reforms before the 2018 national elections.
It marked “the first time that Zimbabwe’s fractured opposition joined in a single action to confront President Robert Mugabe’s government since 2007”, as The Associated Press reports.
Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo on Thursday accused opposition leaders of being “foreign agents” who were trying to bring about worldwide intervention in Zimbabwe’s affairs.
“I do not comment on issues to do with demonstrations”, Makotore said adding, “such questions should be directed to the police”.
VEHICLES were burnt, shops looted and police brutality on display as Zimbabwe’s capital Harare was beset by yet another skirmishes of civilians demanding President Mugabe and his administration vacate office.
Riot police in Zimbabwe fired tear gas, beat up protesters and blocked off the site of an opposition rally in Harare on August 26, 2016, the latest in a string of demonstrations to hit the country.
“The state of the economy and big levels of abject poverty are forcing people to go on to the streets”, said independent analyst Dumisani Nkomo.
In a statement, Morgan Tsvangirai’s party has accused Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo of trampling on the constitutional rights of citizens.
The call for a “mega demonstration” by 18 opposition parties saw around 5,000 people head for the city center, where they were met by riot police and water cannon.
On Friday, opposition groups want the government to ensure the electoral field is fair ahead of presidential and parliamentary votes due in 2018 and does not favour the ruling ZANU-PF party, as well as setting out a roadmap for the ballot.
Zimbabwe’s High Court earlier ruled that police should allow the protest to proceed between 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. (1000-1400 GMT) in what Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called a “victory for democracy”.
“We are urging SADC leaders to table the (security) situation in Zimbabwe at the next SADC Summit in Mbabane, Swaziland next week”.
Advertisement
However, MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu was among those who said no amount of intimidation would stop them from ploughing ahead with their demonstration for electoral reforms today.
