The Zimbabwe Republic Police is an independent arm of the
State which exercised its discretion upon assessing the security situation in
the country before it issued a prohibition order against the MDC-Alliance’s
intended demonstration last week, a Cabinet Minister said.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Dr
Sibusiso Moyo, said the police’s decision barring the planned demonstration was
subjected to a legal test when the MDC Alliance challenged it in the High Court
but lost the bid to have it prohibition order nullified.
Minister Moyo said this yesterday while responding to
questions from journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing which was held in
Harare yesterday.
He had been asked to comment on a statement issued by some
European Union countries condemning the police action during an attempt by
supporters of the MDC Alliance to stage an illegal demonstration in Harare.
“To try and bring the issue of the police reaction is not
fair. The police is an independent organ of the State, which makes its own assessment
and which deals with the situation as they assess and they made a legal
position and they presented it. It was challenged and unfortunately the
challenge was not successful, but thereafter they proceeded with the
demonstration which was fundamentally an illegal demonstration in terms of the
law,” said Minister Moyo.
“Whether the police used excessive force or not, we will
always desire as Government, that police use commensurate force when responding
to demonstrations. It is a subjective matter to say at what point. When
the
protestors wanted to enter Munhumutapa here, what would have police done
except to throw smoke. We must be clear about the circumstances.”
On whether the concerns raised by the EU countries would
not further strain relations and affect re-engagement efforts, Minister Moyo
said Government had resolved to move on with or without sanctions.
“Re-engagement is a process, it is not an event. It takes
two, one thing this dispensation and this Government has decided is that we
must move on with or without sanctions because we believe that sanctions are
now outdated. Sanctions are outdated and they must go. Sadc has said that as
well as the African Union,” said Minister Moyo.
Some MDC Alliance supporters clashed with the police last
Friday in central Harare after they tried to defy police citing security
reasons to issue a prohibition order barring them from conducting a
demonstration.
The prohibition order was subsequently upheld by the High
Court after the MDC Alliance sought to challenge its validity. Chronicle
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