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Zimbabwe police fire teargas to disperse Zanu-PF youths
08 Sep 2011 at 12:46hrs | Views
ZRP anti riot squad fired teargas to disperse Zanu-PF youths who attacked traders in a stronghold of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, local media and police said on Thursday.
The youths sang pro-Mugabe songs while beating the traders with sticks on Wednesday in the Harare township of Highfields, where Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is to hold a party rally on Saturday, according to reports in several newspapers including the state-run Herald.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed the reports and told Reuters no arrests had been made.
The MDC accuses the police of standing by while their supporters are attacked but are quick to apprehend them when they fight back.
The clashes could raise tensions in Highfields, where a big turnout is expected to celebrate the MDC's 12th anniversary.
"No amount of intimidation and violence by the Zanu-PF party will stop members from the ... MDC from celebrating 12 years of unarmed combat," Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai's spokesperson, said.
Critics say the youth wing of Zanu-PF is often used to intimidate political opponents and there is a ready supply of unemployed young men to recruit for such purposes in a country with a jobless rate of about 80%.
Mugabe on Tuesday called for an end to political violence while addressing parliament but as the 87-year-old leader was speaking, his supporters attacked activists from Tsvangirai's MDC party outside the parliament building.
Mugabe said last week he would call an election to end a fragile unity government he formed with the MDC early next year after his push to hold an election this year failed.
The youths sang pro-Mugabe songs while beating the traders with sticks on Wednesday in the Harare township of Highfields, where Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is to hold a party rally on Saturday, according to reports in several newspapers including the state-run Herald.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed the reports and told Reuters no arrests had been made.
The MDC accuses the police of standing by while their supporters are attacked but are quick to apprehend them when they fight back.
"No amount of intimidation and violence by the Zanu-PF party will stop members from the ... MDC from celebrating 12 years of unarmed combat," Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai's spokesperson, said.
Critics say the youth wing of Zanu-PF is often used to intimidate political opponents and there is a ready supply of unemployed young men to recruit for such purposes in a country with a jobless rate of about 80%.
Mugabe on Tuesday called for an end to political violence while addressing parliament but as the 87-year-old leader was speaking, his supporters attacked activists from Tsvangirai's MDC party outside the parliament building.
Mugabe said last week he would call an election to end a fragile unity government he formed with the MDC early next year after his push to hold an election this year failed.
Source - Reuters
