Zimbabwe partially lifts ban on protests, rallies

Hararae, Mar 25: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government has partially lifted a ban on political rallies and protests imposed on Harare's volatile townships, a police spokesman said today.

But a rally planned for tomorrow by opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangrai in Harare's Mbare township remained prohibited, making fresh clashes between police and activists possible despite the easing of the ban.

Police banned political rallies and protests across the capital in February and last month armed riot squads clashed with MDC activists, including Tsvangrai, as they tried to attend a prayer meeting.

Tsvangirai said he and party colleagues were brutally assaulted in police custody following their March 11 arrests over the foiled meeting in Highfield township called to protest against a deepening crisis blamed on Mugabe's government.

Today police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said police had lifted the ban for all districts in the capital, except Harare South -- which includes mostly poor and politically charged townships like Mbare -- and Harare Central.

Areas no longer affected by the ban include Chitungwiza, south of the capital, where a smaller MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara has called a rally for tomorrow.

The ban on political gatherings has been condemned by the opposition and rights groups, who charge that Mugabe's government has imposed a virtual state of emergency.

Images of a cut and bruised Tsvangirai after this month's police crackdown have drawn sharp criticism of Mugabe's rule from the international community, including rare voices of concern from some African leaders.

Today South African media said Mugabe's deputy, Joyce Mujuru, had met her South African counterpart Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in the commercial capital Johannesburg, but officials said the meeting was private.

Tensions are high in Zimbabwe over skyrocketing inflation, the highest in the world at over 1,700 percent, shortages of foreign currency, fuel and food and surging unemployment, which critics blame on nearly 27 years of Mugabe's mismanagement.

Mugabe in turn blames western countries led by former colonial ruler Britain which he says want to dislodge him from power over his seizure of white-owned commercial farms for landless blacks.

Reuters