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.
Post published in: News