Tsvangirai was expected to appraise over 2 000 gathered residents of Highfield West, South and Glen Nora about the constitution referendum and various other issues as part of his Harare Town Hall Meetings programme.
The predominately youthful riot police threatened to tear-gas the gathering if MDC defied the order to disperse as they said the meeting was not approved by the police Law and Order.
MDC-T National Organiser Nelson Chamisa was forced to advise the crowd that the meeting had been cancelled following police instructions to disperse.
“Beloved fellow Democratic Zimbabweans, it is with regret that I am advising you that we are experiencing yet another sad development in our political history. As you would be aware that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and other top party officials were supposed to address this gathering, it will unfortunately not be.
“Riot police in trucks outside the hall have given us two choices to either go ahead with the meeting and risk being tear-gassed or disperse on our own. As a peace loving political party we have opted to cancel the meeting and arrange it for another day. This is the Zimbabwe we live in,” Chamisa told the disappointed gathering.
The MDC-T Highfield organising department expressed anger at the police behaviour as it said it had notified police about the meeting in time.
“We continue to be surprised by police selective application of the law. While MDC meetings are banned Zanu (PF) enjoys the luxury of holding meetings whenever it so pleases without police interference. Police should desist from being used in the interest of political mileage of some political parties,” said a senior MDC-T district official who preferred anonymity.
A member of the police national public relations department identified as Superintendent Nyati told The Zimbabwean to address its questions to the right people.
Police National Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said she was not aware of the reasons why the meeting was not given the green light by police. “I am not aware of the development as I have not been briefed about what has transpired at the meeting in question.”
The acting Harare District Police Spokesperson, Tarirai Dube could not be reached for comment as her mobile number rang continuously without being picked.
The two MDC formations in the GNU have often accused police for disrupting their ‘lawful’ gatherings without genuine reasons. MDC has said under the Public Order and Security Act, political parties can just notify police about gatherings not seek authority.
The MDC-T Information and Publicity Department has indicated that PM Tsvangirai has lined up Hall meetings in and around Harare for this week, to share various issues with residents.
Post published in: News
If things are starting now is there any guarantee that elections will be fine there will be no violent? Why is Tsvangirai playing with people’s lifes by encouraging people to go and vote yes a constitution that brings death penalt to some citzens just because ZANU will be using violence to sentence people . PLIZ MDC ACT LIKE A MATURE PARTY NIT TO BE SUBMISSIVE TO THINGS THAT WILL AFFECT YOU TOMMOROW.
Mugabe you cannot continue your oppression forever.
There is a God and he will ‘take’ you off this land called Zimbabwe the same way as he took Chavez.
I say to Hugo ” look who’s the dooonkey now ” !
When is the MDC going to realise that this is going to take blood and sacrifice. An eye for an eye will not make Zimbabwe blind it will make Zanu Pf aware that they are not the only ones in this country. This peace strategy is a sigh of fear and inability to be organised. Unless you think someone is going to fight your battles for you Tsvangirai, you must start fighting them now.