POLICE in Bulawayo have banned the PDP’s first anniversary celebrations which the Tendai Biti-led party had planned for next Sunday at White City Stadium.
In a written response to the party’s leadership on Monday, Officer Commanding Bulawayo West Police District, Chief Superintendent Manzini Moyo, informed the party the rally could not proceed because of the tense political situation in the country.
“Information reaching my office indicates that your planned event of the 11th of September 2016 might be highly compromised…,” Manzini wrote in response to a notice which the party had sent earlier to his office.
The senior police officer said “serious threats have been received from various pressure groups through the social media inciting people to declare a full war in Zimbabwe starting 2nd September 2016”.
He further said intelligence had also revealed a plot by opposition forces to “destroy all police stations and police properties, destroy all roadblocks with fire, blow all government vehicles and buildings as well as to attack all members of the prison services and release all prisoners in jail.”
If allowed to proceed, Manzini claimed, the PDP gathering will also allow anti-government forces to “completely shut down all major shops until the government changes, prevent all airlines from landing and taking off, allow bus operators to operate at their own risk, blow up all ZUPCO buses and ambulances in smoke as well as destroy all Herald offices and ZBC studios”.
“We do not take these threats lightly and we have remained on high alert since the 1st of September 2016, a situation which has strained our resource utilisation,” Manzini said.
“…We advise that your intended event be delayed up to such a time when security threat levels reduce to normal.
“In this regard, I invoke the provisions of Section 26 (9) of the public Order and Security Act Chapter 11:17.”
The ban elicited a strong reaction from PDP secretary general Godern Moyo who accused the police of fighting Zanu PF wars.
– NewZimbabwe.com
