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Obstacles pile up for MDC
05/06/2008 07:25 - (SA)
Fanuel Jongwe
Harare - The detention of Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday highlights the mountain of obstacles facing Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change in its bid to oust Robert Mugabe at an upcoming run-off poll.
While the first round of voting on March 29 was largely peaceful, political violence had since risen steadily and the MDC said 58 of its supporters had been killed ahead of a second round on June 27.
But the killing of activists, a virtual ban on rallies and a lack of access to the media had led the party to dismiss the chances of a free and fair poll.
"It's a typical race where one of the competitors' legs and hands are tied," said chief MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa.
Chamisa said the MDC had planned to hold 12 rallies before the June 27 run-off, but has so far only been able to go ahead with two of them and access to the airwaves had also been blocked.
Tsvangirai use other platforms
Tsvangirai had been due to address two of the rallies at the weekend, but was prevented from reaching the stadiums by police.
While campaigning in the city of Bulawayo on Tuesday, Tsvangirai said Mugabe was "determined to turn the whole country into a war zone ... but we will not stop campaigning".
However his detention on Wednesday - along with the party's vice-president Thokozani Khupe and chairperson Lovemore Moyo in the southwestern Lupane region - did literally bring his campaign to a halt.
Unable to hold rallies, Tsvangirai had used other platforms such as news conferences, a self-styled state of the nation address and even orations at the funerals of slain party activists to address supporters.
After spending around six weeks abroad after the election, Tsvangirai delayed his return after an assassination plot was allegedly unearthed and was always accompanied by a posse of minders.
His campaign had also been hampered by the arrests of four parliamentarians on various allegations ranging from inciting public violence to paying party activists to beat up supporters of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.
Voting pattern
The newly-elected lawmaker for Buhera West Eric Matinenga had been in custody since Saturday after he was accused of paying MDC youths to attack pro-Mugabe war veterans.
But according to the MDC, Matinenga was arrested after he drove to Buhera to visit party supporters who had been arrested following clashes with Zanu-PF supporters.
Three other MPs were out on bail as was Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway MDC faction, who was arrested on Sunday over an opinion piece, which was heavily critical of 84-year-old Mugabe's rule.
University of Zimbabwe political scientist Eldred Masunungure said the prevailing conditions could change the voting pattern from the March 29 pattern after the MDC won the majority of the seats in the 210-strong parliament.
- AFP
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Zimbabwe Special Report
