MDC considers mass stay away

In a statement at the weekend, the union-based MDC said it would ask labour groups to start planning a “mass action” campaign of strikes and civil disobedience to get the government to end political violence by ZANU-PF supporters.

“We need to embark on mass action to bring the government to its senses,” MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was quoted as saying after a meeting of party officials. As they held the meeting on Saturday, an opposition peace rally at a sports stadium in Harare was stopped after ruling party supporters carrying sticks and iron bars chased MDC supporters away.

The party said it had obtained police clearance for the meeting, but that the police themselves had told people disperse. “The government here is determined to crush any kind of public protest,” said a party leader, Lovemore Madhuku.

In a separate statement, the party said hundreds of people had been injured and lost their property. “Many have had to flee from their homes and are living in fear for their lives, refugees in their own country.” The statement many farm employees had been forced to labour camps where they were being held as prisoners and subjected to Cambodian-style “re-education”.