Source: Police block MDC Alliance rally over Mnangagwa visit – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 16, 2018
POLICE in Marondera have blocked an MDC Alliance campaign rally slated for March 24 at Rudhaka Stadium, claiming the event would clash with a visit by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
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Mnangagwa is expected to visit Marondera for the ground breaking ceremony of a state-of-the art hospital to be constructed outside the town.
MDC-T Mashonaland East deputy organising secretary Bornface Tagwirei said they were now planning to move the rally to Murewa.
“I received a call from a Police Internal Security Investigations officer called Mhlanga telling me that they received our letter but said we cannot go ahead with the planned alliance rally since there is another programme on March 24 in which the President (Mnangagwa) will be attending. There is a programme at Stovhoro meant for the construction of a hospital.
“I presented the matter to my superiors. Currently we are planning to move the rally to Murewa Business Centre. I am going to Harare to discuss the issue so that we can map the way forward. We are not sure whether the programme (Mnangagwa’s visit) is going to succeed or not. I told the officer that if the programme fails, he will be at fault,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Marondera police were fruitless yesterday.
MDC-T Marondera district chairperson Chengetai Murowa said they could have moved the rally to March 25 but MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa will be in Mashonaland Central for another event.
The site of the proposed hospital caused a storm last year after more than 50 families were evicted to pave way for the project.
The families were initially dumped at Mbuya Nehanda Hall before they were taken back to their homes, following the intervention of then Provincial Affairs minister Ambrose Mutinhiri who promised to find them alternative land to stay.
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