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Government warns MDC
28/03/2003 21:13 - (SA)
Harare - The Zimbabwe government on Friday warned that it will deal severely with the opposition if it carries out a threat to march on President Robert Mugabe's residence next week as part of mass action protests.
Last week, the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party gave the government until March 31 to address demands which include the restoration of law and order and an end to alleged state-sponsored violence.
If the government failed to meet the demands, the MDC said it will march on the State House.
Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, said the government took the opposition threats "very seriously".
But he "sternly warned those who would like to cause unrest and civil commotion in this country under the guise of freedom of expression and democracy that they will be dealt with severely".
"We will not allow anybody going to State House or any government building. People must eat and learn to fill their stomachs where they are without dreaming or sometimes being illusionary or sleepwalking," said police commissioner Augustine Chihuri.
"Members of the opposition now advocating for a resurgence of political violence should know that no kid gloves will be used in future," Mohadi said, calling for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who faces treason charges, to be tried while in police custody.
"The courts must be aware that while Morgan Tsvangirai is being tried for treason, he is taking advantage of being out of custody to orchestrate acts of violence.
"We urge the judicial system to review this position so that he is tried while in custody," Mohadi said.
Tsvangirai was arrested last year for plotting to assassinate Mugabe and has been out of custody since then.
Treason trial
The trial of Tsvangirai along with two other party officials has been under way since February 3, 2003.
Based on evidence supplied by a Canadian based political consultant, Tsvangirai is accused of having planned to kill Mugabe ahead of last year's presidential elections. But Tsvangirai said he was trapped by the Zimbabwe government.
On Friday, Tsvangirai repeated his call for peaceful mass action against Mugabe's government if the opposition's demands for law and order are not met by Monday.
"There can be no compromise or surrender. Mugabe must unconditionally yield or face decisive mass action from the people," he told some 40 diplomats in the capital.
Political tensions are running high in the southern African country ahead of by-elections this weekend in two Harare suburbs, both opposition strongholds, and in the aftermath of an anti-government mass strike held last week.
The opposition says at least 400 of its members have been arrested and assaulted and tortured by the security forces, but the police says it is holding only 320 MDC supporters and denies ill-treating any.
The police commissioner said allegations of brutality were "pure propaganda".
"This talk of brutality... is not substantiated. The police in this country have a good human rights record, they are well trained in human rights, they are well behaved and quite professional," said Chihuri.
The European Union on Friday voiced concern over the arrests of the opposition supporters, "many of whom have suffered ill-treatment and even torture by security forces".
The United States this week accused Zimbabwe's government of unleashing a new wave of violence against the opposition, which it said was incited when Mugabe compared himself to Adolf Hitler.
- AFX
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