The Zimbabwe police have placed a ban on opposition rally in an effort to halt a series of “disturbances”. The government claims the ban is in effect to protect the people and officers form looting and bombing. Recent crackdown has been focused on the chief political opposition group, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, has termed the group, puppets of the British monarchy.
The rise in rallies and violence were led by renewed criticism from West concerning the present state of the country’s economy and claims of human rights violations. Zimbabwe has an inflation rate at more than 3,700 percent, unemployment at 80 percent, and a shortening and scarce food supply.
Initially the government placed the ban prohibiting political rallies and demonstration in parts of the capital Harare for three month due to the country’s state of emergency, that ban expired on May 20. However, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has reported that the government has elected to extend the ban for another month for the city of Mbare, where a police camp was bombed.
The MDC has filed a court petition against the first ban; however the court has yet to review the claim.
For more information please see:
Yahoo – Zimbabwe extends ban on protests, rallies in Harare – 24 May 2007
Yahoo – Zimbabwe police slap new ban on opposition rallies – 24 May 2007
