Chamisa bans MDC regalia during Friday demo

MDC has moved to ban the wearing of any party regalia during its much-publicised Harare march against massive suffering under the Zanu PF led government Friday.

At a media briefing Wednesday, party spokesperson Daniel Molokele said the decision was to counter an alleged plot by Zanu PF to print the main opposition's t-shirts for distribution to elements hired to cause violence while posing as MDC supporters.

"There will be no party regalia," Molokele said.

"We want to be clear that no one is going to wear MDC regalia because this is not an MDC march. This is a peoples' march.

"The MDC is just a facility, facilitating the will of the people, Zimbabweans.

"So if you are a Zimbabwean, you want to express yourself. Feel free to wear whatever you want.

"We heard that Zanu PF is already busy printing out MDC regalia. So let them go ahead and maybe donate it to the party for future use but definitely on Friday, we are not going to wear MDC regalia.

"If anyone is seen wearing MDC regalia, suspect that that person has been planted by Zanu PF and automatically that person is a culprit."

Zanu PF has not rested in rubbishing the opponent's planned protest.

The party youth league has vowed to stop or counter any alleged plot to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa by the opposition.

Party political commissar and deputy War Veterans Minister Victor Matemadanda also told journalists in Harare Monday that the protest will not proceed.

The opposition has in the past accused Zanu PF of abusing state security agents to suppress freedoms of expression and assembly among Zimbabweans.

The MDC protests are also set to be extended across the country starting with Bulawayo on Monday, Gweru on Tuesday, Masvingo on Wednesday and Mutare on Thursday.

Added Molokele, "We will continue to march. We will not stop until a legitimate, people's government is put in place.

"And then once and for all, we will make sure that we will not rest until there is finality to this issue of legitimacy."

Government has in turn, through Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, told Zimbabweans that participating in the protest will only serve to worsen and lengthen their suffering.

Security has already been beefed up in Harare, with trucks of police para-military officers (Support Unit) and riot officers doing rounds in open trucks.

Police officers can be seen at almost every corner in town and along major routes out of the CBD into the city's major high density suburbs.