Source: Crisis as police bans big demo – DailyNews Live
Blessings Mashaya 22 March 2017
HARARE – Panicking authorities went back on their word yesterday,
effectively banning the opposition’s planned mega demonstration in Harare
today, which was set to be led by MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai.
After security chiefs – who met the organisers of the protest march on
Monday – had appeared to okay the demo, police made a surprising U-turn
yesterday, decreeing that the opposition could only gather in the
capital’s central business district and not march.
Sources who spoke to the Daily News after the mega protest march was
outlawed said top police brass were apparently fearful that the
demonstration could turn violent.
In their formal letter yesterday to the organisers of the march, the
National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera), police were emphatic that the
opposition should not march in the streets of Harare, but rather just
gather at what the MDC now refers to as Freedom Square, next to Rainbow
Towers Hotel.
The police also said only a maximum of 10 people would be allowed to take
the opposition’s petition to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) –
orders which sparked anger within Nera, which immediately gave notice that
it would file an urgent court application to challenge the decrees.
“In terms of Section 26 (6) of Posa (Chapter 11: 17) I impose the
following conditions:
“(The) 2 500 people you intend to bring into town are to gather at Robert
Mugabe Square … 10 people to proceed to Zec offices and hand over the
petition.
“No marching or gathering in the city centre. After handing over the
petition, the gathering must disperse immediately.
“Provision of Section 59 and 86 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe amended
20/13 were also considered in coming up with this decision,” police chief
superintendent, a J Chizemo wrote in his memo to Nera.
He added that the decision to impose these onerous conditions had also
been reached after analysing previous Nera demonstrations.
“Reference is made to consultations and negotiations meeting held between
yourself and the regulating authority on March 20, 2017 at Harare Central
District.
“In view of the evidence I have at hand arising from the incidents which
happened in the previous Nera demonstrations, where property was damaged,
shops looted, government institutions destroyed, innocent people assaulted
and vehicles damaged, the business community of the Central Business
District has expressed fear that a demonstration of 2 500 people will
result in public disorder and breach of peace.
“The apprehension of fear in the business community in the CBD cannot be
dispelled by the arrangement that you intend to put in place, as more than
2 500 people will march along the street disturbing the smooth flow of
human and vehicular traffic for more than four hours,” police said
further.
Nera legal secretary Douglas Mwonzora said, soon after receiving the
letter, that they would approach the court yesterday.
“We are planning to take legal action against these conditions, as we are
not happy with them.
“People will tomorrow (today) gather at Freedom Square before we advise
them the way to go, but the demonstration is not going to stop. The people
of Zimbabwe have the right to protest,” he said.
The development comes after the country’s much-feared Joint Operations
Command (Joc) – a security think tank comprising military, police, prisons
and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) bosses – had demanded to meet
with the opposition on Monday, before allowing them to go ahead with their
march.
Mwonzora also confirmed last night that Tsvangirai was “champing at the
bit” to lead today’s demonstration.
“Yes, president Tsvangirai is itching to participate in tomorrow (today)’s
demonstration. We all want to say no to election rigging.
“We are expecting all the leaders of political parties in Nera to lead the
protest, although it will be up to them (party leaders) to decide at which
stage of the demonstration to join,” Mwonzora added.
Tsvangirai and former vice president Joice Mujuru have been playing
leading roles in Nera, which is demanding a raft of electoral reforms
before the country holds the eagerly-anticipated 2018 national polls.
Mujuru’s spokesperson Gift Nyandoro also confirmed to the Daily News last
night that the widow of revered liberation struggle hero, Solomon, would
“definitely participate” in today’s demonstration.
“She will be among the demonstrators unless something happens. This is a
grand opportunity for the opposition to come together and send a message
to Mugabe that the will of the people should be respected because without
a credible election, Mugabe’s leadership will remain engulfed in a
legitimacy crisis,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s quest to acquire biometric voter registration (BVR) kits has
caused a huge storm among opposition parties who view the government’s
involvement in the purchase of the equipment as problematic.
The controversy erupted into the open recently following the government’s
sudden decision to sideline the UNDP from assisting in the procurement of
the kits, with unanswered questions being raised about how and where the
stone-broke government will secure funding for this, to the staggering
tune of $17 million.
The opposition has alleged that the government is hijacking the process to
rig next year’s eagerly-anticipated national elections.
“It was all along agreed that the procurement of the BVR kits would be
done by Zec through the UNDP. Consequently, a joint advertisement was
flighted by the UNDP and Zec calling upon all potential suppliers of the
kits to place their bids.
“These bids were opened at the UNDP offices in Copenhagen and this was
witnessed by both Zec and political parties. It was further agreed that
once the winner of the tender was declared, political parties would second
their technical experts to inspect these kits.
“But suddenly, the government announced that it was taking over the BVR
kits procurement process. Among other things, this means that the
government will now select the supplier of these kits.
“Crucially, political parties and other key stakeholders will thus not be
able to monitor the process,” Mwonzora pointed out recently.
This comes as opposition parties are still smarting from the electoral
controversies of the 2013 election, when an Israeli company, Nikuv,
allegedly manipulated the vote in favour of Zanu PF.
“Nera totally rejects this move because it is designed to enable the
government to manipulate the procurement process. That way the government
will also manipulate the 2018 election process,” Mwonzora said.
Analysts say the Nera protest could herald the beginning of a new season
of protests, following the relative calm that has prevailed in the country
over the past few months, after the panicking government used brute force
to crush similar rolling protests last year.
On Thursday, a day after the Nera demonstration, disaffected war veterans
who have been feuding with Mugabe since last year, will have their own
indaba where they are expected to discuss the welfare of their members, as
well as the ruling Zanu PF’s deadly tribal, factional and succession wars.
Their meeting follows last week’s High Court ruling which quashed an
earlier decision by the police to bar them from holding the indaba.
The vets are pressing Mugabe to name a successor and ditch a faction
rabidly opposed to his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, from succeeding the
nonagenarian.
Analysts also say the country’s worsening cash shortages, which almost
caused riots by angry tobacco farmers last week, are likely to fuel
further tensions from this week onward.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a debilitating economic crisis which has seen
the government failing to pay its workers on time.
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