Police Back-track On MDC Demo

The youth, defied the police order to cancel the demonstration. The police had back-tracked, at the eleventh hour, on its earlier decision to grant the youth permission to march through the streets of Masvingo, saying they had received orders from above to stop the planned protest.

The youth demanded a speedy implementation of the GPA, re-surgent violence and the need to swear in deputy agriculture Minister designate Roy Bennett, currently facing treason charges. It also called for the speeding up of new appointments of provincial governors.

The placards waving youths, also petitioned Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa over ‘the absence of the rule of law’ as well as the selective application of the law.

MDC-T provincial spokesperson ,Tongai Matutu, said the police made an about- turn, on the last hour and cancelled their clearance in a bid to stop them from marching.

“We were just informed by the police 30 minutes before the demo that they had cancelled our clearance, and threatened to arrest the youth but the activists, however, said they were not moved by such a partisan action,” said Matutu.

Provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Prosper Mugauri said they were ‘given orders from above’ that they should not give the MDC-T youths clearance to press ahead with the demo.

“That was a directive from Harare, phone our headquarters for a comment,” Ass Insp Mugauri said, before hanging the phone.

Matutu, legislator for Masvingo Urban, slammed the police for barring the MDC-T from having peaceful demonstrations, when Zanu (PF) is granted the authority and is also escorted with the police.

Early this month, a handful of war collaborators took to the streets and blasted Tsvangirai over western sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.