MUTARE – The police in Mutare has banned the MDC protest march slated for Thursday citing lack of manpower and concerns from the business community.
In prohibiting the order, the Officer Commanding Police Mutare Central district, Chief Superintend Florence Marume said police was not in support of the demonstration as it was likely to result in public disorder or breach of peace.
Said Marume: “During a consultative meeting with with stakeholders and business community of Mutare held on 19 August. About 31 business entities cited incidences of the 15 and 16 January where normal business was disrupted thereby causing a lot of losses.”
However, the MDC Manicaland chairman Prosper Mutseyami said the demonstration will go ahead and will challenge the police ban on Thursday.
“We are going to challenge that in court and our people must be on standby. We have followed all the procedures as required by the constitution,” said Mutseyami.
“There is no democracy in this country and people have the right to demonstrate peacefully,” he said.
Mutseyami said he is worried about his safety as he is being followed by suspicious people.
“I do not know what will become of me as l am being followed by some people whose movements l am failing to understand,” he said.
By late Wednesday heavy presence of police and army details were deployed at strategic points in the streets of Mutare.
