MDC to brief Mbeki on renewed violence against supporters

By Tichaona Sibanda
16 November 2007

The MDC will make further representations to South African President Thabo Mbeki about the escalation of political violence and intimidation against its supporters.
Secretary for Home Affairs Sam Nkomo said they would task their negotiating team to ensure that Mbeki gets the message that Zanu-PF has not scaled down its violence against MDC activists.

Nkomo disclosed that when the government agreed to meet a delegation from the MDC last month, which briefed Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi on acts of violence against MDC supporters, it was only after the intervention of Mbeki.

That meeting was held following Mohadi’s request to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai that he wanted the opposition to corroborate statements that politically motivated violence was on the increase, despite the South African brokered talks between the opposition party and ZANU PF.

‘Violence against our supporters hasn’t stopped. It has escalated since the last time we met Mohadi. During that meeting Mohadi acknowledged that our supporters were being victimised and admitted this could jeopardise on-going dialogue between his ruling ZANU PF party and the opposition,’ Nkomo said.
Nkomo added that they have since tested government’s sincerity on freedom of speech and freedom of association but have discovered that it is still impossible to hold a public demonstration or political rally.
The police, who under state security laws must sanction all public demonstrations, have in the past banned the MDC from holding demonstrations although Zanu-PF supporters are regularly allowed to march in the streets in support of President Robert Mugabe.

Scores of MDC supporters have in the last week been arrested and assaulted in Chipinge, Mutare and Bulawayo for holding legitimate consultative meetings. Nkomo said they would once again impress upon President Mbeki that dialogue could only proceed if Zanu-PF desists from acts of violence on the ground.