MDC to protest despite police ban

Despite a police ban, the faction of the Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by founding president Morgan Tsvangirai will go ahead with a protest march on 23 January.

The law enforcement authorities had granted permission for the MDC faction to hold what it called 'The Freedom Walk' but police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena later announced that permission to march through the capital had been revoked.

MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti told IRIN that they would defy the police ban. "We are going to proceed with our planned march. What police are doing to ban our procession is illegal, because on January 18 they granted us permission to march."

Bvudzijena told local media that participating in the procession would be an offence, and offenders would be arrested.

MDC officials said the purpose of the protest was to highlight the humanitarian crisis in the country and test the ruling ZANU-PF party's commitment to mediation efforts being brokered by South Africa.

Biti said ZANU-PF had refused to implement a transitional constitution before elections scheduled for March, which would introduce a series of pro-democracy reforms. The opposition has also called for the elections to be postponed to June.

"We want to hold a solidarity march - not in support of an individual, but in support of the suffering people of Zimbabwe, for a free and fair election, food, jobs, water, electricity and money from the banks - but the partisan police and their ZANU-PF handlers are showing their usual bias," Biti commented.

Mediation efforts

South African President Thabo Mbeki flew into Harare on 17 January to try to mediate between the ZANU-PF and the two MDC factions. Before he left, Mbeki told journalists in Harare that the talks were "a work in progress, and I must say that there has been good progress; there is definitely a lot of light."

He also implied that postponement of the elections was unlikely. "Everyone is very conscious of the fact that elections are coming in March, but they are also conscious of the tasks that have to be accomplished."

The last time opposition and civic leaders held a public procession, in March 2007, many were arrested and beaten while in police custody. The attacks outraged the international community and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and led to the ongoing dialogue.

But Bvudzijena was adamant: "It is felt by the police that it is not in the interest of public security for the march to proceed."

The police accuse MDC leaders of trying to incite members of the public to engage in violent demonstrations, an allegation denied by the opposition party.

Kenya inspired

Political journalist Valentine Maponga told IRIN that the recent post-election violence in Kenya appeared to be influencing both the government and the opposition. "Based on the Kenyan political violence, it looks like the opposition wants to start building some momentum against the government in the event of losing the elections later this year.

"On the other hand, the government would want to ensure that the march does not take off because it might ignite [others] and spread throughout the country."

On the eve of the demonstration, Zimbabweans are reeling from national power blackouts, water shortages, lack of fuel and no cash, because without electricity nobody can withdraw money from the banks.

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