MDC call for national strike

By Lance Guma
11 April 2008

As the impasse over delayed presidential election results continues, the MDC has called for a national strike starting next week Tuesday, to force the government to release the results. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Newsreel they have given the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission until Monday to announce the results.

The party says it has already consulted its partners in civil society and the trade unions and they have all agreed to jointly coordinate the national strike. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and National Constitutional Assembly are just two of the groups who have thrown their weight behind the strike. The MDC released a statement calling on, ‘transporters, workers, vendors and everyone to stay at home. The power is in our hands. Zimbabweans have been taken for granted for too long. We demand that the presidential election results be announced now.’

State radio immediately moved to announce that all political rallies in the country have been banned. Police officials claim the situation in the country is volatile and as such all rallies have been cancelled, ‘with immediate effect.’ Chamisa said the ban on rallies was aimed at blocking a rally they had planned to have at the Glamis Arena near the Harare show grounds over the weekend. He said state media has been misinforming Zimbabweans since the March 29 poll and they wanted to use this as an opportunity to set the record straight and clarify events on the ground. The party have since decided to postpone the rally.

After a week of intensive regional diplomatic pressure by MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai, Zanu PF is wary of the MDC turning to its supporters and engaging in protests. A campaign of terror is now being used to seal off the rural areas from the MDC in the event of a run-off and people who voted for the opposition are being victimised.