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More cops spread out in Zim
15/04/2008 13:53 - (SA)
Angus Shaw
Harare - Additional police and soldiers spread out across Harare on Tuesday as the Zimbabwe's opposition called a nationwide strike to press for the release of long-delayed presidential results.
Zimbabwe was still waiting for official results more than two weeks since a presidential vote that Zimbabwe's long-time ruler apparently lost. The opposition had failed in a series of attempts to force the release of results.
On Monday, the country's High Court rejected their appeal for the immediate release of the presidential outcome, thwarting that strategy. The court was expected to hear an opposition petition on Tuesday to block vote recounts called for by the ruling party.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he won the March 29 election outright and had accused President Robert Mugabe of holding back the results to try to maintain his 28-year grip in power. Independent tallies showed Tsvangirai won, but did not receive enough votes to prevent a runoff.
'Zimbabweans should stay at home'
Police had banned all political rallies, and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change said that Tuesday's action would be a quiet "stay away", not a raucous strike with street protests.
"Every Zimbabwean should stay at home until (the electoral commission) announces the results for the presidential poll," said MDC spokesperson Nqobizitha Mlilo.
But there had been little publicity of the strike before Tuesday, and morning traffic was typically heavy in the capital as stores and banks opened as usual.
One man in line at a cash machine said he heard about the strike by word of mouth as he walked into the city from a nearby suburb. He gave his name only as Madinha, saying he feared recrimination if he gave his full name.
Still, commuters reported fewer privately run minibuses in service, meaning fewer workers reaching downtown Harare.
Cops man road checkpoints
A burnt-out passenger bus sat alongside a road in Harare. Residents said it caught fire sometime in the early morning, though it was unclear if arson was involved or if there were any injuries.
The state-run newspaper called the strike an "illegal" action and said police planned to "deal severely with anyone who breaches the law."
"The National Reaction Force has been activated (with the) beefing up police officers" to protect Zimbabweans who want to go to work as usual, Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena was quoted as saying in the Herald. The government had argued that the opposition planned to use the strike to agitate for violence.
Residents in Harare's Glen Norah neighbourhood said police told crowds of commuters waiting for buses to disperse. Police also manned road checkpoints surrounding the capital.
Fighter jets flew over the capital, but officials said the flights were just rehearsals for a military parade and flyby planned for Zimbabwe's Independence Day on Friday.
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