By Vusumuzi Sifile, Kholwani Nyathi and Jennifer Dube
THE police last week banned MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai from holding rallies for the Presidential election run-off.
But in the High Court yesterday, Justice Alphas Chitakunye issued a provisional order for the party to go ahead with four rallies in Harare.
"The respondents (police) or anyone acting through them are hereby ordered not to interfere with applicant (MDC)’s rallies as scheduled," Chitakunye ruled.
The MDC vowed to go ahead with all the rallies, citing the High Court ruling.
The police ironically admitted Tsvangirai’s life was under threat, and are now using that as the basis for not granting him permission to hold the rallies.
Over a fortnight ago, Tsvangirai said he had been informed of a plot to assassinate him, but the government angrily dismissed the claims.
In Harare, the MDC had lined up four rallies in Mufakose, Glen Norah, Kambuzuma and Zengeza.
But on Friday, the officer commanding police in Harare South, Chief Superintendent F A Chagwedera wrote to the MDC to inform the party the police were still assessing the assassination threats against Tsvangirai.
Chagwedera said: "The MDC party has communicated far and wide very loudly for that matter, that the lives of some of your politicians are under severe threat from targeted assassinations. We, as the police, are still battling to assess the assassination threat levels, trying to isolate and eliminate such threats."
Chagwedera said the MDC would not be allowed to hold their rallies until after "we have been able to make a full scan and evaluation of the assassination threat levels".
But the MDC, through their lawyers Mbizo, Muchadehama and Makoni, argued that "If the police concerns were genuine, why have they not ensured that the threatened leaders are protected? If they are worried about their safety at rallies, why are they not worried about their safety at their homes?"
In Manicaland the MDC was denied permission to hold 36 rallies.
In Matabeleland North and South, MDC leader was stopped and detained twice by the police from holding rallies last week.
MDC Manicaland provincial spokesperson Pishai Muchauraya told The Standard on Friday they went ahead and held one rally at Nhedziwa Business Centre in Makoni South, as the police had not notified them the rally had not been sanctioned.
This resulted in the arrest of the convenor of the rally, Shepherd Rambiyarwo and four MDC supporters.
Muchauraya said the arrest of the officials and of newly-elected MP for Buhera West, Advocate Eric Matinenga, would not stop their campaign.
Matinenga was arrested for the second time in a week. The reason for the early morning raid at Matinenga’s home could not be established last night.
In Lupane, Matabeleland North, police last week detained Tsvangirai and impounded his car at a road block en route to a campaign meeting.
The police told state media the detention was only meant to appraise Tsvangirai of the country’s laws.
An advance team sent to prepare for a rally in Manama, in Matabeleland South, was also turned away at a police roadblock after police said they could not guarantee its security in the heavily militarised area.
Tsvangirai was told not to travel beyond Esigodini, about 40km from Bulawayo after he was detained for two hours as police claimed his security was at risk.
His lawyer, Job Sibanda said the police were trying to frustrate Tsvangirai’s campaign.
"They said he must not go beyond Esigodini because his security was at risk," Sibanda said. "The police did not charge him on Friday as they said they had only stopped his motorcade to advise him of their security concerns."
Speaking at a dinner organised by Bulawayo Agenda and Christian Alliance in Bulawayo, Tsvangirai said he was undeterred. He said the ongoing violence and his harassment by the police were only an "occupational hazard".
While the MDC is banned from holding rallies, the lawyers argued, Zanu PF organises its meetings at will.
Published in The Standard on 8 June 2008
THE police last week banned MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai from holding rallies for the Presidential election run-off.
But in the High Court yesterday, Justice Alphas Chitakunye issued a provisional order for the party to go ahead with four rallies in Harare.
"The respondents (police) or anyone acting through them are hereby ordered not to interfere with applicant (MDC)’s rallies as scheduled," Chitakunye ruled.
The MDC vowed to go ahead with all the rallies, citing the High Court ruling.
The police ironically admitted Tsvangirai’s life was under threat, and are now using that as the basis for not granting him permission to hold the rallies.
Over a fortnight ago, Tsvangirai said he had been informed of a plot to assassinate him, but the government angrily dismissed the claims.
In Harare, the MDC had lined up four rallies in Mufakose, Glen Norah, Kambuzuma and Zengeza.
But on Friday, the officer commanding police in Harare South, Chief Superintendent F A Chagwedera wrote to the MDC to inform the party the police were still assessing the assassination threats against Tsvangirai.
Chagwedera said: "The MDC party has communicated far and wide very loudly for that matter, that the lives of some of your politicians are under severe threat from targeted assassinations. We, as the police, are still battling to assess the assassination threat levels, trying to isolate and eliminate such threats."
Chagwedera said the MDC would not be allowed to hold their rallies until after "we have been able to make a full scan and evaluation of the assassination threat levels".
But the MDC, through their lawyers Mbizo, Muchadehama and Makoni, argued that "If the police concerns were genuine, why have they not ensured that the threatened leaders are protected? If they are worried about their safety at rallies, why are they not worried about their safety at their homes?"
In Manicaland the MDC was denied permission to hold 36 rallies.
In Matabeleland North and South, MDC leader was stopped and detained twice by the police from holding rallies last week.
MDC Manicaland provincial spokesperson Pishai Muchauraya told The Standard on Friday they went ahead and held one rally at Nhedziwa Business Centre in Makoni South, as the police had not notified them the rally had not been sanctioned.
This resulted in the arrest of the convenor of the rally, Shepherd Rambiyarwo and four MDC supporters.
Muchauraya said the arrest of the officials and of newly-elected MP for Buhera West, Advocate Eric Matinenga, would not stop their campaign.
Matinenga was arrested for the second time in a week. The reason for the early morning raid at Matinenga’s home could not be established last night.
In Lupane, Matabeleland North, police last week detained Tsvangirai and impounded his car at a road block en route to a campaign meeting.
The police told state media the detention was only meant to appraise Tsvangirai of the country’s laws.
An advance team sent to prepare for a rally in Manama, in Matabeleland South, was also turned away at a police roadblock after police said they could not guarantee its security in the heavily militarised area.
Tsvangirai was told not to travel beyond Esigodini, about 40km from Bulawayo after he was detained for two hours as police claimed his security was at risk.
His lawyer, Job Sibanda said the police were trying to frustrate Tsvangirai’s campaign.
"They said he must not go beyond Esigodini because his security was at risk," Sibanda said. "The police did not charge him on Friday as they said they had only stopped his motorcade to advise him of their security concerns."
Speaking at a dinner organised by Bulawayo Agenda and Christian Alliance in Bulawayo, Tsvangirai said he was undeterred. He said the ongoing violence and his harassment by the police were only an "occupational hazard".
While the MDC is banned from holding rallies, the lawyers argued, Zanu PF organises its meetings at will.
Published in The Standard on 8 June 2008
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