POLICE have officially banned the MDC-T’s 19th anniversary
celebrations which were set for Gwanzura Stadium, Harare, this weekend citing a
cholera outbreak which claimed has so far claimed the lives of 25 lives
countrywide.
This comes after the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC-T accused
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of running scared of citizens, hence the
deployment of security forces and banning an opposition programme under the
pretext of containing the deadly cholera outbreak.
MDC-T spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said police last night
withdrew the permission they had earlier given for the celebrations to go
ahead, claiming that this was due to the decision by government to declare the
outbreak a state of emergency.
“They are running scared of our anniversary because they
fear that there will be an inauguration of Nelson Chamisa as the people’s
president,” he said.
Mafume said the party leadership was making consultations
on the way forward.
MDC-T, Zimbabwe’s largest opposition party, was formed in
September 1999 and is set to hold its 19th anniversary at the weekend, but
police early this week banned all public gatherings in Harare following the
declaration of a state of emergency on cholera as authorities battle to contain
the outbreak.
The police had earlier cleared the rally.
Mafume said Mnangagwa’s administration had been rattled by
Chamisa’s apparent popularity during a visit to the cholera-ravaged western
suburbs on Wednesday.
“Between the issuing of permission (to hold the gathering)
by ZRP [Zimbabwe Republic Police] and its cancellation was the evidence of tens
of thousands of Zimbabweans who thronged the streets in Glen View to talk to
president Chamisa.
Illegitimate governments always feel threatened by citizens
and fear seeing them together,” he said in a statement.
“Scared by its illegitimacy, the Mnangagwa government then
ordered the ZRP to cancel our 19th anniversary celebrations after realising
that president Chamisa is pulling tens of thousands of people into the streets.
The numbers on the streets of Glen View and Budiriro, were
a clear sign of things to come at Gwanzura Stadium.”
The police ban also requires churches and those planning
funeral wakes to seek clearance from the Health ministry.
The MDC-T argues that the cholera outbreak was being used
as a “ruse” by a “paranoid” government that only two weeks ago also forced the
opposition party to suspend a rally in Kwekwe over reports of a typhoid
outbreak in Gweru, about 60km away.
The High Court later ruled the ban illegal.
“The statement (by police) used cholera as an excuse,
although it is clear that this epidemic is currently limited to and contained
within specific areas of Harare,” Mafume said.
“These illegal attempts by ZRP to cancel events on health
grounds are an excuse for Zanu PF’s downright fear of citizens.
They clearly show that Emmerson Mnangagwa knows that he lost
the election and is operating this country on the basis of martial law and a
perpetual state of emergency to protect himself from democracy.”
Mnangagwa won the July 30 presidential election by a margin
of 50,6% against Chamisa’s 44,3%.
The Constitutional Court rejected claims of rigging by the
opposition.
“ZRP has no business declaring health emergencies as this
should be the preserve of health professionals and institutions,” Mafume said.
Newsday
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