WAR veterans’ planned Friday meeting hangs in the balance after police yesterday stated that they had not sanctioned the event.
BY staff reporters
Police warned that any attempt to disregard the law on the part of the former freedom fighters would be dealt with ruthlessly.
Last year, police used water cannons, batons and teargas to disperse war veterans who had convened at the City Sports Centre to discuss their welfare and state of affairs in Zanu PF.
After a whirlwind tour of all the provinces to map the way forward, war veterans called for a meeting to discuss the issues, but police said no authorisation had been issued.
“The police would want to make it very clear that they did not okay the war veterans’ indaba as alleged. The applicant has to comply with the provisions of the law as enshrined in the Public Order and Security Act [Posa] chapter 11:17,” Harare provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Tarirai Dube, said. “Any gathering without compliance to the provisions of the law will be deemed unlawful.”
But, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said he was surprised to hear police reneging on their earlier approval.
“We have a letter that reads: ‘We acknowledge receipt of your letter notifying the regulating authority of your intention to hold the above-mentioned meeting on March 10, 2017 at the City Sports Centre.’ My interpretation is that notification in terms of the law has been received,” he said.
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Mahiya said they had made a follow-up to satisfy additional requirements that police demanded in terms of Posa.
According to him, the required additional information was about details of the conveners.
“We are surprised by what they are saying. We don’t know why they are doing that and what we didn’t fulfil in terms of their requirements. What else do they want? Does it mean that we need to go to the High Court? We will go to the police tomorrow [today] so that we understand what they are talking about,” Mahiya said.
