Police use toilet excuse to block MDC rally

By Lance Guma
10 July 2006

Police banned two weekend rallies planned by the MDC in Kwekwe and Chinhoyi citing a variety of flimsy excuses. This brings to at least 9 the total number of rallies banned. In Chinhoyi police said the venue did not have sufficient toilets to cater for the expected crowds while in Kwekwe they accused the opposition of trying to use the rally to incite people to anti-government protests. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa says the Zanu PF controlled council which owns the stadium in Chinhoyi refused them a booking to use the stadium. They were forced to settle for an open space in Chikonohono Township giving the police reason to hide behind the ‘toilet excuse.’ This is despite a similar type of venue in Mutare, the Chisamba grounds, hosting a hugely successful rally a few months back.

Under the harsh Public Order and Security Act (POSA) organisers of public meetings need only to inform the police in advance but what has tended to happen is that the police have given themselves power to grant or refuse permission for such events. Chamisa was quick to point this out saying they will not even bother with legal challenges as this will ‘force them up a garden path that leads to nowhere.’ He says the courts are ‘littered and pregnant with Mugabe stooges, who are obviously going to try and manipulate the system.’ The MDC says it will continue to organise and hold meetings with or without police permission. Chamisa maintains they are not going to sit around while Mugabe’s regime continues to abuse people.

Chamisa also told Newsreel that 3 rallies in Manicaland province, 2 provincial meetings in Chitungwiza and a further 2 rallies in Chivhu and Chikomba have so far been blocked by the police this year. The MDC says it is currently mobilising its supporters for mass action but has not given dates for this insisting it will happen only ‘when the owners of that process are ready.’