(TALKZIMBABWE) Police case opened against MDC in S.Africa

Police case opened against MDC in S.Africa
Floyd Nkomo/News24
Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:18:00 +0000

A POLICE case has been opened in South Africa against the Movement for Democratic Change party after ‘skirmishes’ between party supporters and South African police on Monday which left two people hospitalized and 10 others injured.

About 1,500 people protested at the Union Buildings over the political impasse in Zimbabwe.

The protestors, who had marched from Union Buildings to the highly secure Presidential Guest House, were detained briefly after they tried to hand over a petition to South African President and current Sadc Chairperson, Kgalema Motlanthe.

South African police Captain, Julia Claassen said the protestors forced their way into the grounds of the Presidential Guest House without security clearance and when police stopped them, they threw stones at the police and blocked roads..

"Police then fired rubber bullets at the protesters," said Claassen adding that seven protesters were treated for minor injuries and no arrests were made.

Claassen said the demonstration was illegal as it had not been cleared with the police.

"A case of public violence and illegal gathering has been opened against the Movement for Democratic Change," she said.

Save Zimbabwe Now! Campaign established recently says that it had been given permission to hold a demonstration opposite the Union Buildings — which form the official seat of the South African Government and also houses the offices of the President of South Africa.

The Institute for Democracy in SA (Idasa) said that the demonstration was peaceful.

The Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum, which also took part in the demonstration, claimed the reaction from the police was “completely over the top”.

“People were singing and dancing when police started firing rubber bullets,” said spokesman Richard Smith.

News24/TZG