Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has told the police and other authorities to let opposition parties hold their rallies without interference. He said that blocking and clashing with opposition parties was harming the credibility of the upcoming August 23 elections, which are important for Zimbabwe’s attempt to rejoin the Commonwealth.
The President’s directive was a response to the complaints of opposition parties, especially the CCC party, which said that the police had banned 92 of its rallies in the past year. The party alleged that the police were colluding with their Zanu PF rivals to hinder their campaign. No Zanu PF rallies were reported to be banned.
President Mnangagwa urged the police to follow the laws that regulate the electoral process and to respect the rights of all political parties. He also reminded them of his appeal for peace and tolerance in the run-up to the elections.
The directive, which was supposed to be confidential, was leaked to the public and media, sparking a reaction from the police. They said that they were displeased with the leak and that they would find out who did it and why. They also said that they were only doing their job to keep peace and order in the country.