Published by the government of Zimbabwe
30 May 2003
Harare — THE Government yesterday warned members of the public against participating in next week's illegal street marches called by the MDC to remove President Mugabe from office unconstitutionally.
At a Press conference in Harare, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the MDC threatened actions were tantamount to staging a coup against a legitimately elected Government.
On Sunday MDC leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai called for mass marches to topple President Mugabe in what he said was a final push to State House to oust the President.
"Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said yesterday he would begin a week of mass marches on 2 June with the aim of forcing President Robert Mugabe from power," the Daily News reported on Monday.
Cde Chinamasa said the State would not take such threats lightly as they were being directed against the authority of Government.
"Resort to a coup d'etat is unconstitutional and unlawful and thus constitutes the serious crime of high treason.
"The State cannot therefore take such threats lightly as these threats are being directed against the authority of Government and calculated and aimed at achieving, through unconstitutional means, the unlawful removal from power of a constitutionally elected Government and incitement of the general public to commit acts of violence, banditry and anarchy," he said.
He added: "In the circumstances I wish to advise the public and warn all those behind these threats that such actions are unlawful and if perpetrated, will meet the full wrath of the law." Cde Chinamasa said it was high treason for a person to call and advocate for change of Government through a coup or banditry.
It was even a more serious case if a person calling for such unlawful action was already facing treason charges in a court of law.
"Mr Tsvangirai cannot seek to achieve, through a coup d'etat or banditry, what he failed to achieve through the alleged attempted assassination of the Head of State.
"Given the circumstances of the threatened illegal mass action by MDC, members of the public are forewarned that the law will take its course against those who participate in the illegal action."
The minister said members of the public including business should go about their normal activities as law enforcement agencies will guarantee the necessary security.
"I call upon all law enforcement agencies to spare no effort in upholding the rule of law and ensuring the maintenance of law and order. Law enforcement agencies must act firmly in countering any threat against a constitutionally elected Government.
"The contemptuous disregard of the rule of law by the MDC criminal elements and its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, can no longer be tolerated," he said.
The MDC has claimed the mass marches would be peaceful but record has it that the opposition party's organised demonstrations have always turned violent.
Its last mass action in March left a trail of destruction when its youths went on the rampage destroying, burning buses, detonating dynamites on bridges, attacking security forces, stoning shops, traumatising pre-school children and looting.
Cde Chinamasa said the MDC could no longer fool the public by claiming that its so-called mass marches would be peaceful because every demonstration the opposition party has organised in the past ended up in violence with destruction of property and injury to people.
"MDC's violent path has a track record. They have misled the public into believing that they were pursuing peaceful means through the courts (to challenge the results of the presidential election) but outside the court they speak war," he said.
The minister said the labelling by Mr Tsvangirai of those who did not participate in next week's marches as cowards showed that the demonstration would not be peaceful.
He also said the MDC's demonstration had not been sanctioned by police and was therefore illegal in terms of the Public Order and Security Act.
Cde Chinamasa said the only legitimate way Mr Tsvangirai could assume the presidency was through an election and the next presidential poll was due in 2008.
The minister also said the Government would not be dictated to by foreigners as to how it should deal with illegal mass marches.
"Our law enforcement agencies will do what is lawful to counter threats against the authority of the Government.
"In that regard we take no orders from anyone," he said in reference to the United States' "warning" against quelling the protests.
It is understood the MDC was planning to bus in youths from outside Harare and mobilise street children and use them as shields in the illegal marches.
"We are aware that the MDC and foreign interests behind the illegal marches have become desperate because the rest of Zimbabwe is wondering what is happening in Harare while the people of Harare are sick and tired of the demonstrations which turn violent each time and leave them as victims.
"We understand they want to bus in youths and street kids and imagine that they can use them as cannon fodder.
"This demonstrates that the MDC is desperate and that Tsvangirai and company are cowards because they cannot go in front themselves," said the Minister of Information and Publicity Professor Jonathan Moyo.
He added: "This time they will be taught a lesson they will never forget and the public will not let them get away with it."
The MDC marches come at a time when members of the public have become fed up with violent demonstrations and are now using the law to protect themselves against violators of the rule of law.
A Harare woman is suing the MDC, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Daily News for $5,5 million as replacement for a truck which was petrol bombed and destroyed beyond repair during the March mass stayaway organised by the opposition party and supported by the labour body and the daily paper.
Legal experts who spoke to ZBC's Newsnet yesterday including Mr Douglas Mwonzora of the opposition aligned National Constitutional Assembly said the test case lodged by the woman had a legal basis.
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