Opposition threatens intense new round of anti-Mugabe protests
Gibson Sibanda, vice president of the Movement for Democratic Change, said unannounced protests would be called at short notice if Morgan Tsvangirai is not released.
“We won’t give a deadline for his release for fear of pre-empting our strategies,” he said.
Tsvangirai, arrested on Friday on treason charges after a week of strikes and protests that shut down much of the economy, was being held in police station in Harare.
Sibanda said Tsvangirai’s arrest was aimed at provoking the party into violent action to create a pretext for the government to use force against activists and to outlaw the party.
But if Tsvangirai was not quickly freed, “the dying regime must brace itself for a long winter of intense but peaceful mass action,” he said.
The times and venues of last week’s street protests had been advertised, allowing troops and police to deploy in large numbers.
But the next protests will not be announced in advance, Sibanda warned.
Tsvangirai was brought to court yesterday on treason charges that he called protests to overthrow President Robert Mugabe and his government. He is scheduled to reappear in court today.
The opposition will demand the charges, denied by Tsvangirai, be thrown out for lack of evidence.
State radio said police were searching for the third ranking opposition official, secretary general Welshman Ncube, and appealed for information on his whereabouts.
“For Mugabe to crush the MDC, he will have to kill everybody. No amount of physical retribution can crush the people’s wishes,” Sibanda said.
Government forces resorted to beating protesters, firing warning shots in the air and opening fire with water cannons and tear gas to break up opposition demonstrations last week.
The success of nationwide anti-government strikes were viewed as the biggest opposition challenge yet to Mugabe’s 23-year authoritarian rule.
Mugabe, speaking at a state funeral yesterday, said anti-government demonstrations aimed at unconstitutionally removing him were illegal and would not be tolerated.
In earlier remarks Mugabe said if Tsvangirai led protest marches to seize power “we will blow him away like a fly”.
A general strike kept most businesses closed across the country this week, further crippling Zimbabwe’s already struggling economy.
But a massive show of force by ruling party militia and security forces in armoured cars, trucks, jeeps, anti-riot vehicles and Israeli-made water cannon delivered last year, prevented street marches.
Police reported at least 300 arrests during the week. Scores of people were treated for injuries inflicted with rifle butts and riot sticks and the effects of tear gas.
The opposition said two of its supporters died from injuries. Police said a third man was stoned to death by opposition protesters.
Shortly before his arrest Friday, Tsvangirai said the unprecedented security crackdown had thwarted huge street demonstrations planned for Friday to cap the week of mass action.
Treason carries a possible death penalty in Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai already is on trial on a separate treason charge that accuses him of plotting to assassinate Mugabe two years ago.
Tsvangirai and two other opposition officials on trial with him say they were framed by the government.
In the second treason case, the government alleges Tsvangirai called on supporters at rallies on May 3 and May 25 to rise up and oust Mugabe.
He was arrested long after the two rallies in a “face-saving gimmick by Mugabe after he was totally embarrassed” by last week’s protests, said opposition official Gift Chimanakire.
The opposition blames Mugabe for sinking the country into political and economic ruin.
There are acute shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and currency, and annual inflation is at 269%. Widespread starvation has been avoided only with international aid.
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