Armed cops at Zanu-PF congress accreditation

POLICE armed with truncheons were yesterday seen milling around Zanu-PF district offices in Gweru as delegates were busy with accreditation for the party's sixth national congress.

This is the second time police were seen at the ruling party's offices after heavily armed anti-riot police manned the offices to thwart a planned demonstration by party members sympathetic to a faction led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru a fortnight ago.

Provincial delegates went about their accreditation peacefully while the cops watched from across the road opposite the offices.

Last Friday, State media reported alleged irregularities with the accreditation process in the provinces with the factions trying to elbow each other out of the process.

Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko could not be drawn to comment on the presence of the police.

However, a source at the accreditation venue said police were only maintaining "routine peace and order" to ensure that the process was smooth.

"When there are people gathering at any given time, there can be commotion and Zanu-PF accreditation cannot be an exception," the source said.

Zanu-PF provincial secretary for information and publicity, Cornelius Mpereri, however, said police were doing their duty
of maintaining order and the accreditation process was going smoothly.

"As you know, where there is a gathering of people there could be commotion and police are just doing their duty," he said.

"But I can inform you by midday we had finished accrediting those from Kwekwe and we are dealing with Chirumanzu."

Mpereri said only Gokwe North and Shurugwi were absent from the accreditation as they had pending central committee elections being held yesterday.

Zanu-PF goes to its congress, which runs from December 2 to 7 with the party divided along factional lines.