MDC-T digs in

THE MDC-T will continue its door-to-door voter education exercise in Beitbridge despite a police crackdown on its members, Matabeleland South spokesperson, Ekem Moyo has said.

Police arrested 11 MDC-T members in the border town, including its 2013 parliamentary election losing candidate, Morgan Ncube and a woman with a baby, while conducting a door-to-door voter registration awareness exercise.

"As MDC-T Matabeleland South province we condemn the barbaric act and cruelty perpetrated on our members as inhumane and unthinkable.

"Our members were doing what is right according to the Constitution, but according to State-sponsored agents the right thing is wrong," Moyo said yesterday.

The group spent the weekend in custody and was only released on Monday on free bail when they appeared at the Beitbridge Magistrates' Court. Police accused the MDC-T members of running an unsanctioned voter registration awareness exercise.

The MDC-T Matabeleland South spokesperson, however, described the arrests as intimidation tactics, which he said will not cow them to abandon the voter registration awareness exercise.

Moyo argued that the programme, which is also running in other provinces as the opposition party prepares for next year's general elections, was a legitimate political exercise

"We are following the dictates of our Constitution which allows us to campaign freely without fear not what Zanu-PF wants. The one-sided application of the law by State security agents totally defies logic and it leaves our laws in a sorry and vulnerable state.

"The MDC-T Matabeleland South province will never be intimidated by the inhumane arrests and abuse of power," he said.

The government has allocated $8,3 million to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission against $29 million the commission had requested to enable it to acquire vehicles for the voter registration exercise.

Independent election observer group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network said the funding shortfall compromised the voter registration exercise, resulting on a situation where eligible voters could be disenfranchised.