SW Radio Africa (London)
Lance Guma
16 May 2008
A police ban on an MDC victory rally set for White City Stadium on Sunday has been overturned by the High Court in Bulawayo.
The party had notified police they were going to hold the rally - as required by the country's repressive laws - but the officer commanding Bulawayo province, R.M Masina, sought to scuttle their plans. She argued, among other dubious reasons, that the police did not have enough manpower to police the rally, the atmosphere in the country was tense and that the MDC wanted to use the rally to incite violence.
This forced the MDC legal team led by lawyer Job Sibanda, to file a High Court application Friday seeking to bar the police from interfering with the rally. Senior party officials like Eddie Cross argued that an MDC rally at the same venue in March was only policed by 20 officers and yet there were over 25 000 people at the venue and there was no violence. They also argued that Zanu PF had launched its own election run-off campaign and by denying the MDC permission to hold it's rallies the state was applying double standards. The legal team also pointed to the open hostility of the police as a factor betraying their bias.
Our correspondent Lionel Saungweme was at the High Court and told us MDC officials were determined to hold the rally, since the party have still not been given the opportunity to celebrate their historic victory over Zanu PF and Mugabe in the March election. He says the MDC hope that by bringing their supporters together in the midst of the escalating violence, they will create a sense of togetherness and hope. The party also wants to thank its supporters for delivering what they feel was a 'decisive' blow to Mugabe's dictatorship.
It remains unclear whether the police will respect the High Court order and allow MDC supporters access to the stadium on Sunday.
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Uh oh, more craziness from secretslave. :-D
Truely one of the finest orators of the 21st century. I am humbled in the presence of such greatness.
Perhaps Secretslave is trying to tell us that he has secret slaves he does not feed. Phew!
salaam, A Kings cup is ONLY found in Islam, Mugabe wanted to be a KING without the cup ? It comes ONLY by the cup for that is its measurement and guage of the RIGHTS upon LIFE in every aspect of LIFE. From the FREE to the captives are the slaves, while many claim they have NOT any slaves held in captivity? They exaimine little and speaks much and meantion little of value in matter for description keeps to accuracy, for some they set a PRICE for the freeing, and some no price and some no freeing of the LIFE of the slave held in accounts. And what is the BOAST of the status of the slaves held in accounts those that will never get out they say rotting flesh and smiles at the waste and the torture of the life of the slaves. So they gave up feeding them to the animals as history past, and kept the cages for the slaves. feeamanellaah