NERA, to protest at own peril

The decision by National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) to protest in the country's 210 constituencies despite a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)  ban on demonstrations is an indication that depicts the weakness by opposition forces of failing to abide by the law.

The Police noticed that it was temporarily banning all protests in central business district of Harare from 16 September 2016, to 25 October 2016. According to the Police the ban was in terms of in Section 27 (2) (a) of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

However, NERA's head of legal affairs who is also MDC-T secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora insisted that they were going to proceed with the protests despite Police order and with or with no police clearance. Turning a deaf ear on the law by NERA members will result them being nab by the police

Since the beginning of these protests by opposition outfits, the scale of political violence has been growing a thing that could have made the Police to ban these demonstrations. Surely, people should not be left damaging infrastructure, vehicles and looting shops. Such behaviour is unfavorable to economic development.

NERA should just abide by the law and wait until the said date is reached. If the protests are to be held without police monitoring, there is bound to be acts of violence by hooligans who may or may not be part of NERA. Police must first clear the demonstration in order for them to provide protection of public safety, maintenance of public order, protection of others' rights and freedoms, including their right carry on their business freely.

In the fortunate event that the protests are given a green light, it is also essential for the security forces to disperse any illegal violent protesters.

Police should not hesitate to arrest and fine people who organise protests

The fact that Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) took its time to entertain issues and grievances raised by NERA, shows that the Commission is free to work with every political party.  However, the meeting was reported to be unsuccessful, as NERA members walked away of that meeting before reaching a consensus with the Commission.

Transform Zimbabwe leader, Jacob Ngarivhume claimed that ZEC had planted dubious and fake political parties in the meeting to vote against their position. Nevertheless, it is neither the responsibility of ZEC to vet nor drive away political parties who would have come for a meeting. Ngarivhume should have identified those ‘fake' parties, and take immediate action rather than blaming ZEC for no apparent reason.

Honestly, how can ZEC plant dubious political parties in a meeting? What will they want to achieve in so doing?

NERA should heed Cde Saviour Kasukuwere advice. Cde Kasukuwere urged NERA members to bring its concerns to Parliament. If NERA feels that ZEC is not doing justice to their raised issues, I am quite convinced that Parliament will be able to address their concerns. All the same, Didymus Mutasa, chairperson of NERA and colleagues should stop acting like cry babies. Why did they walk out of the meeting before they reached a consensus with ZEC?

Mutasa is accusing ZANU-PF government of rigging 2018 elections. Surely, how can this possible? Mutasa is quite cognizant that ZANU-PF has the potential of winning the next elections; hence being in a panic mode.

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Peacemaker Zano <peacemakerzano@gmail.com