Tsvangirai expected to address rally in London

By Tichaona Sibanda
30 April 2007

MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to address a rally in London next week, a senior party official in the UK said on Monday.
Jaison Matewu, the MDC’s organising secretary in the UK said Tsvangirai, who is currently outside the country briefing party activists in the diaspora about the current events back home will address a star rally on 12th May.

‘I’m urging all our party activists in the UK to come and meet with the President. This will be their opportunity to convey their concerns to him as well as get a briefing of what is happening in Zimbabwe,’ Matewu said. Already, the MDC executive committee in the UK has come up with a document on how they want to see Zimbabweans in the diaspora taking part in any future election in Zimbabwe, starting with the ones next year.

Tsvangirai has been barred by authorities in the country from addressing any rallies, while Robert Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) officials are free to have rallies at anytime. These are some of the issues the MDC wants President Thabo Mbeki to address in his future talks between Zanu (PF) and the MDC.

Over the weekend the MDC was able to hold a rally in the mining town of Hwange in Matabeleland North.
According to Eddie Cross, the party’s policy coordinator, permission was obtained from the police.

After quite a bit of difficulty, a venue was secured in the local Municipal area, a derelict football ground some 8km from the town centre and quite a distance from their normal catchment area for rallies of this nature. The colliery refused to give them permission to use their facilities.

Cross said people were very fearful and the attendance was small. But with about 500 individuals, the event proceeded in good spirits. The member in charge of Hwange police kept a close eye and was accompanied by two members from the Central Intelligence Organisation.
In Kariba, police last weekend banned an MDC rally in the resort town citing security concerns around the country. The party had also planned to hold two more rallies in Chinhoyi and Mola rural centre in Mashonaland West province. The rallies were to be addressed by MDC secretary general Tendai Biti and Kwekwe legislator Blessing Chebundo.