Citizens Coalition for Change’s (CCC) Youth Task Force National Administrator Pashor Raphael Sibanda, was summoned by the police on Thursday in Bulawayo, accused of planning a demonstration.
Sibanda, the former Cowdray Park Member of Parliament, and other CCC youth taskforce members recently held a press conference in Bulawayo where they threatened to stage street protests if urgent electoral reforms are not implemented.
Speaking to CITE’s Senzeni Ncube, Sibanda said that he was summoned for questioning following the press conference. He said:
So, the police have called me for questioning following the press conference that we held on the 12th of December.
They allege that I am organising a demonstration in Bulawayo to be held tomorrow the 22nd of December.
However, in my press statement, I only said ‘We will flood the streets,’ we never spoke about the date and venue for our demonstrations.
I have since told them that I am not responsible for the 22nd December demonstration.
If we are to do a demo, we will do it at an appropriate time and we will do it in terms of law.
They said if there is a demo tomorrow, they will arrest me. They want to pin me for tomorrow’s demo.
He said the authorities are trying to intimidate him and other activists to discourage them from speaking out against the government.
In Zimbabwe, under the Maintenance of Peace and Order (MOPA), which replaced the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) in 2019, there are specific steps and considerations for organising demonstrations or public gatherings.
The Act covers gatherings, processions, and public demonstrations. It restricts assemblies in certain places and regulates how they are conducted.
The law stipulates that organisers or conveners must notify the police at least seven days before the event for demonstrations or marches and five days before for public meetings.
However, certain types of gatherings are exempt from following the MOPA, including those held exclusively for religious, educational, recreational, or charitable purposes, agricultural shows, and theatrical performances, among others.
The Police have routinely used the Act to bar opposition parties and civic organisations from holding public events, for example, political rallies by parties in the run-up to general elections.
More: Pindula News