‘High Court says MDC demo can go ahead… police ordered to pay costs’
By Staff Reporter
The High Court in Zimbabwe has ruled that a planned demonstration by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) can go ahead tomorrow.
The party led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai approached the courts after President Robert Mugabe’s regime through the police sought to block the protest.
The High Court also ordered the police to meet the costs of the application.
Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka announced the judgment saying it was a “victory for democracy.”
Yesterday Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said the MDC-T should engage relevant police officers because:
“The dispol (district police commander) is the authority to whom they should seek the clearance. They should not try to do unlawful things as the police will deal with such mischief.”
MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said their planned demonstration was meant to force government to honour its 2013 pre-election pledge to create two million jobs and restore economic stability.
On Tuesday a defiant MDC-T Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora had said, “with or without their permission, we are going ahead with our demonstrations.
“President Tsvangirai is going to attend the demonstration and he will address people at the end of our march at Africa Unity Square,” Mwonzora said.
“We are going ahead with the demonstration although the police are trying to discourage us. We are not worried about the situation, I am yet to see anybody who has the foolishness of beating 10 000 people.
“After our demonstration on Thursday, the protests will cascade to other provinces. We are not seeing anything rational to come from the Zanu PF government,” said Mwonzora.
MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said “They promised to create 2,2 million jobs, but so far, they have successfully managed to create two million loafers and vendors.
“At least four million Zimbabweans are facing the horrifying spectre of starvation if they are not provided with immediate and urgent food relief. We are demonstrating against the unlawful and inhuman practice of abusing and misusing food aid as a tool for political patronage and manipulation,” he added.
