Source: Police block MDC Hurungwe rally – DailyNews Live
STAFF WRITER 6 October 2017
HARARE – Police in Karoi have banned an MDC rally set to be addressed by
MDC vice president Nelson Chamisa to mobilise people to register to vote
ahead of next year’s hotly-contested election, the opposition party said
yesterday.
The rally on October 7, just after the start of the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (Zec)’s voter registration blitz, would have been the latest in
a series of rallies by MDC against the incumbent President Robert Mugabe,
whom they claim has vandalised the economy.
Police have received notice of the rally from the organisers.
MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said: “We note with dismay that the police
have today stopped the MDC `Chakachaya’ Star Rally billed to be addressed
by MDC vice president honourable advocate Nelson Chamisa on Saturday has
been banned
“The police in Hurungwe have denied the party permission to hold a voter
registration and mobilisation rally at Chikangwe Stadium, Karoi in
Mashonaland West province.
“In a letter erroneously dated September 04, 2017, the Officer Commanding
Hurungwe District Chief Superintendent B. Ncube wrote to the party’s
Hurungwe district indicating that it was impossible for the party to
proceed with the rally, owing to undisclosed reasons.”
Gutu said the police had been notified of the rally by the local
leadership in terms of the law.
“This development is disturbing particularly considering that a genuine
free and fair election is predicated upon all political parties being
given an opportunity to access all places of the country.
“We also note that Zanu PF gatherings ahead of the voter registration
blitz that kicks off on Tuesday are being allowed to proceed
uninterrupted,” he said.
“The party is undeterred and therefore remains focused on convergence and
converging the nation for the people’s imminent victory.”
The MDC urged “all our supporters to turn out in their numbers and
register to vote in the coming elections.”
“None but ourselves will free us from the shackles of a clueless
government that has allowed the economic situation to deteriorate to these
plumbing depths,” Gutu said.
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