Harare – Hoardes of riot police cops “armed to the teeth”, Tuesday midday, attacked signatories to the National Electoral Reforms Agenda (Nera), who were marching to Parliament House seeking to hand over a petition calling for the urgent implementation of NERA objectives.
Bulawayo MP and MDCT deputy spokesperson, Thabitha Khumalo told ZimEye.com the youths were pounced upon with the police charging that the activists’ act was illegal as they “did not obtain police clearance.” But the activists who marched peacefully seeking to hand over their petition at parliament, were not in any way protesting but simply walking to submit their paper. The police descended onto Nelson Mandela avenue armed to the teeth in what many assumed were preparations to brutalise the activists.
Truly credible election. Over 10 opposition political parties last year joined Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDCT to craft and sign up to the Nera in the call for a truly credible election as a precondition for the return to legitimacy, which the parties agreed must become an issue of national priority.
Nera last month told government it would hold a series of demonstrations if the government fails to address their electoral reform demands. “We pray that the abovementioned demands be met in the shortest time so that we rescued Zimbabwe out of political and legitimacy crisis that we find ourselves in,” the petition said. “Failure to realise will leave the young people of Zimbabwe with no other option than to take it upon themselves to rescue this country from the political, economic legitimacy crisis by any means possible,” it concluded.
More to follow