Opposition prepares for "final push"

Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has set 2 June as the date when it will begin the "final push" against the government of President Robert Mugabe. The party has also asked that the armed forces not suppress demonstrations. An MDC spokesman, who asked not to be named, told IRIN on Monday party leader Morgan Tsvangirai was confident that preparations for the demonstrations and a possible week-long worker stayaway were complete. "There have also been several appeals to various pillars of strength [of the regime], which include the armed forces, in the form of advertisements in the newspapers. The message to them is not to allow themselves to be used to suppress peaceful demonstrations," the spokesman added. Ahead of the expected mass action, news reports said members of the public had begun panic buying in a bid to hoard as much of already scarce basic commodities as possible. Shoppers in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Mutare could be seen frantically snapping up any available foodstuffs, while banks and building societies ran out of cash and some were rationing the amounts clients could withdraw, The Standard newspaper reported on Sunday. "What has happened is that most shops are almost dry of basic commodities," the MDC official said. However, reports suggest the MDC could face a backlash from war veterans during the proposed mass action. South Africa's Independent Newspapers group reported that war veterans had warned this week they would use "military tactics" to thwart the mass action campaign of the opposition. "We have stood aside and observed you for too long. This time we will not. This time, using our military experience, we will mobilise against you," Patrick Nyaruwata, the National Liberation War Veterans' Association leader, was quoted as saying. The war veterans were at the forefront of land invasions and have repeatedly been accused of acts of violence and human rights abuses aimed at opposition supporters.