Renewal Team reschedules congress

The opposition MDC Renewal Team has rescheduled its inaugural congress to early next month following its last-minute cancellation by police in Harare on Thursday.

Police claimed the party's congress venue, City Sports Centre, had already been booked by Emmanuel Makandiwa's United Family International Church.

Party chairman Samuel Sipepa Nkomo claimed a third force had caused the cancellation of their congress.

Nkomo said about 7 000 delegates had registered for the congress with some already in the capital, adding they had incurred irrecoverable costs due to its postponement.

Nkomo said the congress would now run from September 9 to 11 at the same venue, with party members expected to elect a new substantive executive and change the party name to People's Democratic Party.