Delegates stoned by Mugabe supporters
2010-09-19 21:45
Special Report
Chinese vice premier Wang Yang has urged Zimbabwe to ensure peace and political stability ahead of elections this year.
Harare - Five people were injured on Sunday as supporters of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party stoned delegates at a constitutional meeting in the capital, Harare.
Dozens of youths hurled stones, sending crowds fleeing in all directions from the venue of the constitutional meeting in the populous Mbare district, according to an AFP correspondent at the meeting.
Police stood by and watched as the violence broke out.
"We had mobilised people to contribute to the constitution-making meeting, but Zanu-PF supporters came and beat up people, throwing stones to disrupt the meeting," said Piniel Denga, parliamentarian for Mbare.
"Five people were injured. The situation is still tense."
"I don't think the meeting will go ahead," Denga added.
Zimbabwe is in the process of creating a new constitution in the country as part of a road map by the unity government to fresh elections.
In July last year Zanu-PF supporters disrupted a major constitutional meeting in the capital.
The constitutional outreach teams are gathering public opinion on the new charter with talks this weekend in the capital, Harare, and second city, Bulawayo.
Several meetings have been disrupted across the country after violence and clashes between supporters of long-ruling Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, both leaders in the strained unity government.
The outreach exercise is expected to end this month.
- SAPA
