MDC-T rally conditions were standard and conforms to GPA - Govt

THE conditions given by the police to the MDC-T to hold its rally at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield on Saturday were standard and in conformity with the Global Political Agreement and the law, Government said yesterday.

Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity, Mr George Charamba, said in terms of the Public Order and Security Act, the obligation of observance of peace lied with the convener of meetings.

He said the GPA urges political parties to refrain from hate speech and political violence, an issue police urged the MDC-T to observe, which the party now complains as "conditions" for their rally.

In granting permission to the MDC-T rally, the police had also advised the party to refrain from derogatory remarks against other political parties and co-operate with Government security agents.

He said it was interesting to note that the meeting was initially dubbed a star rally but was suddenly downgraded to an ordinary meeting after it emerged that it was flopping as the MDC-T sought to blame its failure on the police ahead of the Sadc Summit in South Africa.

"GPA disallows hate speech, disallows political violence and thuggery and encourages political tolerance and these issues put together constitute what the MDC's (spokesper-son Mr Douglas) Mwonzora is calling conditions. This is why they are creating fictitious reasons," Mr Charamba said.

"Mwonzora must be new in his job but that does not make the conditions new. He must learn from his predecessor. Are we being told that their rally collapses the moment they are asked not to promote hate speech and not to perpetrate violence? Is this an admission that this is what has become of their politics?"

Media reports said before the rally, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai raised the matter with Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri at Friday's National Security Council.

Comm Gen Chihuri wondered where Mr Tsvangirai was getting that and when asked the MDC-T leader is said to have said he had read it in the Financial Gazette.

He was then told their rally had been booked and was on.

"On June 3 2011 the MDC-T got communication of confirmation of their rally, the same day Mr Tsvangirai was raising the matter with Comm Gen Chihuri," said the source.

Another source said the MDC-T leadership was divided as a faction linked to Mr Biti has been fingered to the trail of violence, something that has reportedly riled and weakened Mr Tsvangirai ahead of the Sadc Summit.

The take over by Mr Biti from Mr Mwonzora the role of speaking on behalf of the party has raised more eyebrows.

Mr Biti convened a Press conference last week to distance his party from the Glen View political violence that claimed the life of police inspector, Petros Mutedza.

"What value did Biti bring to it considering that Mwonzora is also a lawyer just like the secretary general? There must be something at stake than just mere communication. Their own newspapers are admitting that this is factional politics sinking into grassroots. It's clear that it is a continuation of their conflict at their Bulawayo congress. Their rally flopped dismally amid allegations of intra-party violence now being blamed on Zanu-PF," said the source.

Meanwhile, police yesterday denied allegations that they were behind the failed MDC-T rally.

This follows media reports that the MDC-T star rally at the Zimbabwe Grounds failed to live to expectations after police gave the Mr Tsvangirai "unacceptable conditions" to adhere to just a day before the meeting.

Mr Mwonzora was quoted saying PM Tsvangirai did not turn up for the rally because he felt insulted by the conditions given to his party by the police.

Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau yesterday said: "We are appealing to some political parties to ensure that they do not make statements that misinform the public who are usually not only privy to what usually happens behind the scenes. We are worried that some members of the public were made to believe that the police had a hand in the failed MDC-T rally on June 4 2011."

He said the MDC-T first applied for the star rally on May 19 and when the regulating authority was still considering the application, they brought another application on May 25 changing the dates.

"This application was authorised by the police and interestingly after the authorisation, the party spokesperson was quoted in the media saying the police was directed not to stop MDC rallies.

"After the rally had failed, we were surprised to hear that the police contributed to the failure of the rally.

"The conditions that were given are the conditions that are given to all political parties when authority is granted," he said.

Insp Sabau said the force had issued statements telling people not to toyi-toyi when there were rallies and they were surprised why this issue should be mentioned as one of the contributors to the rally's failure.

"We discourage statements that create unnecessary antagonism. We all have a role to play in ensuring the country's peace and stability is preserved," he said.

Insp Sabau urged political parties to put in place mechanisms that ensured that they conducted their political activities without engaging in acts of violence.