The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) – a coalition of civil societies, non-governmental organisations and political parties – wants a transitional government to run the country, craft a new democratic constitution for Zimbabwe and prepare for free and fair elections to be monitored by the international community.
The protests took place in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo. However heavily armed police brutally broke up protests in Harare where they arrested two NCA members and seriously assaulted and injured 10 other members of the group.
Earlier the police had raided the home of NCA national chairman Lovemore Madhuku in the morning in an attempt to arrest him ahead of the protests.
The raid yielded nothing because Madhuku was not at home. His lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, said Madhuku later handed himself to the police who detained him until the demonstration in Harare was quelled.
Earnest Mudzengi, the national director of the NCA, yesterday said police had used heavy handedness to stop the demonstrations in the capital.
But he said the group had managed to convey its message for a need for transitional government instead of a government of national unity made up of President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party and the two opposition MDC formations.
The government unleashed the riot police and the protest in Harare was quelled, Mudzengi said. We had successful protests in Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo. We are going to continue with the protest until our demands are met.
There was no immediate comment from the police on the charges by the NCA that officers sent out to quell protests assaulted the civic alliance’s members.
According to Mudzengi, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) joined the NCA in the protests.
In a statement, ZINASU said its position and the NCA was that a transitional arrangement respecting the will of the people was the only way forward.
Any arrangement must respect the aspirations and decision of the people as reflected on March 29 2008, the statement read.
We urge Zimbabweans, especially noting what transpired at the ‘legitimacy-deficit’ SADC summit on the 9th of November, to get back to trenches and shape our destiny. Nothing for us without us, ZINASU said.
President Robert Mugabe, MDC formations leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara on September 15 in Harare signed a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending the country’s decade long political and economic crisis.
The agreement has since run into serious problems on allocation of ministerial portfolios with Mugabe and Tsvangirai haggling over key posts.
An emergency summit of the regional SADC group called to break the deadlock over ministerial posts resolved that a unity government be formed forthwith and that the home affairs ministry be co-chaired by ZANU PF and the Tsvangirai-led MDC.
Tsvangirai rejected the decision and his party’s national executive and council will meet on Friday to decide the way forward while Mugabe has since said he would as soon as possible constitute a government.
Mugabe said he would invite Tsvangirai to submit names of members of his party to be appointed into the 31-member Cabinet. – ZimOnline