Zimbabwe’s primary opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has initiated a legal battle on Saturday, seeking to overturn a police ban on a political rally planned as part of the preparations for the impending elections next month, which are under considerable global scrutiny.
The party has been prohibited from conducting the assembly in the town of Bindura, north of the capital, Harare, on Sunday. The police command deemed the chosen venue unsuitable due to its “bushy” character and lack of “maintainable roads”.
The CCC perceives this prohibition as yet another display of the reigning administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa suppressing and stifling opposition ahead of the August 23 elections.
With a past marked by violent and disputed elections, the Southern African nation still remembers the events from five years ago when Mnangagwa secured a marginal victory post succeeding Robert Mugabe as president via a coup.
On Saturday, Harare’s High Court was in session hearing the CCC’s appeal against the rally ban. The party’s way forward would be decided following the court’s ruling, stated spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere.
Accusations have been flying from the CCC and independent rights groups towards Mnangagwa’s government of subduing the opposition by arresting their officials and supporters, banning their meetings, and leveraging violence through ruling party supporters to intimidate the opposition, all in the lead up to the vote.
Nelson Chamisa, the CCC leader, narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the 2018 presidential election, and his allegations of vote-rigging were dismissed by the Constitutional Court.
Mnangagwa, now aged 80, pledged a new era of democracy after the coup that ousted long-term autocrat Mugabe. However, critics argue that Mnangagwa has proved to be as repressive as his predecessor.
The political tension, worsened by an economic crisis in the country, has sparked fears of escalated violence surrounding next month’s elections.
These elections will not only determine the presidency, but also the composition of the 350-seat Parliament and nearly 2,000 local government positions.
Among the 11 presidential candidates is Saviour Kasukuwere, a former stalwart of the ruling party who was exiled after the 2017 coup that catapulted Mnangagwa to power. Despite promises of returning to Zimbabwe for his campaign, authorities insist that he faces arrest for alleged past offences.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press
