Police break up Tajamuka demo

DEMONSTRATIONS resurfaced in Harare yesterday, amid violent clashes between riot police and Tajamuka protesters, who were marching to the High Court protesting against alleged government interference in the judiciary.

Police fired teargas at the nearly 50 protesters, as they approached Parliament building, triggering a hail of stones from the retreating demonstrators.

After a temporary retreat, the protesters, armed with catapults, hit back at the police in anti-riot gear, forcing them to flee into a police post on First Street.

Shops and banks near the chaos, were forced to close shop, while passers-by and motorists fled, as the battle intensified.

On-looker, Tendai Matyokera blamed the police for the violent clashes. He said riot police was needlessly trigger happy and behaved as if they were happy to see chaos.

"The police just started attacking demonstrators and in the process innocent bystanders and children, were injured. They are happy when there is smoke," Matyokera said.

In defiance of a police ban on demonstrations and without giving notice, Tajamuka took to the streets wearing T-shirts and holding banners with a message for President Robert Mugabe to step down.

The march started at corner Julius Nyerere Way and Jason Moyo Avenue, as Tajamuka condemned Mugabe's interference with the judiciary and the economic decline.

One of the organisers, Hardlife Mudzingwa said Tajamuka was unhappy with the recent judgments delivered by the courts following Mugabe and other senior Zanu PF officials threats against judges by.

"The judgments, being delivered, are highly influenced by the Executive. The public threats against respected judges cannot be tolerated. We do not believe justice is being served, but instead it is the interest of the executive that is prevailing in the courts," he said.

Tajamuka also called on the government to pay civil servants' salaries on time, while questioning Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa's move to tax public workers' allowances.

"It would be simple for government to contain the wage bill by firing all its Zanu PF commissars, who have their salaries paid by government, instead of punishing hard working employees," Mudzingwa said.

Tajamuka members vowed to continue with their protests and defy any government ban. They said "evil will only prevail if good men do nothing".