Zimbabwe: Police Trying to Block MDC Hwange Rally

By Alex Bell

Police in Hwange are reportedly attempting to stop an MDC "Real Change" rally scheduled for Saturday in the town, according to the party.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to address thousands of MDC supporters at No. 1 Old Hwange Colliery Grounds. A high-powered delegation known as the "The MDC Real Change Team" is also set to join the party president in briefing the people "on the performance of the inclusive government and the progress made since the start of the Constitution-making process, which kicked off in June."

But, according to a letter signed by Chief Superintendent S. Utete of Hwange Police Station, the police are claiming that they do not have enough manpower for the rally as police details are attending constitutional outreach meetings, while others are attending a Comesa ministers meeting in Victoria Falls.

The MDC also expressed concern on Friday that self-styled war vets leader, Jabulani Sibanda, is harassing and intimidating villagers in Bikita West ahead of the constitution-making outreach meetings in the area. Sibanda, accompanied by ZANU PF youths, is moving around the constituency intimidating villagers into support ZANU PF's position on the discredited Kariba draft.

Meanwhile, the MDC deputy organising secretary, Senator Morgen Komichi who was arrested in Lupane, Matebeleland North on Wednesday, has been granted $50 bail by a Hwange magistrate. Komichi is facing trumped-up charges of 'communicating falsehoods'.

In February he addressed an MDC rally in Lupane and told supporters that the provincial police, led by Edmore Veterai, were unwilling to release three MDCimpounded vehicles. In the run-up to the sham June 27th 2008 presidential elections, Lupane Police impounded President Morgan Tsvangirai's campaign vehicle and two others belonging to the Matabeleland North province and the Youth Assembly. The three vehicles are still at Lupane police station. Senator Komichi will appear in court again on 29th September.

Meanwhile, according to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, police in Banket on Wednesday detained Fanny Tembo, a councillor for Banket Town Council, after he attempted to report a case of harassment by ZANU PF supporters.

The ZANU PF activists who confronted Tembo accused him of exposing them to the media for victimising a local MDC councillor on an earlier occasion. Tembo was reportedly manhandled and had stones thrown at him. But when he went to report the unprovoked attack at the police station, "he was surprised to be informed by the police that they were now detaining him on what seems to have been a public violence charge."

Tembo was only released during the early hours of Thursday morning, after spending six hours in police detention.

Original date published: 30 July 2010

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