Due to speak at the rally were the
President, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai and the Secretary General Mr. Tendai Biti.
On Wednesday they called the local Organising Secretary into the
Headquarters building to say that they had refused permission for the rally.
Under the amended regulations passed through Parliament in 2007 under the
SADC process, the Police may only deny permission after they have gone to
Court and had a Judge or Magistrate say that the denial was justified. The
organisation wanting to hold a function is permitted to appear and appose
the Police application. This procedure was ignored.
We immediately instructed lawyers to take the matter to the Court and for
this the MDC had to have the refusal of the police in writing. This was
requested but was only provided on Thursday at 15.00 hrs. The urgent
application was taken to the Courts at 16.00 hrs and no Judge was found who
was prepared to handle the case.
At 09.00 hrs on Friday (today) the lawyers have gone back to the Court with
the application.
We understand the ZEC is to announce the run off date today and that Zanu PF
is actually launching their campaign today. How the police can justify this
ban of political activity is impossible to understand. Bulawayo is free of
political violence and no problems have ever been encountered with MDC
rallies in the past at this venue. There is only one explanation – that is
that the State is attempting to further restrict the ability of the MDC to
campaign ahead of the run off for the presidential elections.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 16th May 2008
Post published in: News