Zimbabwean police have announced a fresh ban on protests in the capital Harare, state media said Tuesday, in another bid to end a wave of demonstrations against veteran ruler President Robert Mugabe.
In a notice in the state-run Herald newspaper, Harare police chief Newbert Saunyama said the ban had been imposed on “holding of public demonstrations” for one month starting on Friday.
The proposal came hours after a group of opposition parties on Monday announced plans for a “mega” demonstration on Saturday.
Harare has been rocked by weeks of near-daily protests over a plummeting economy, allegations of corruption and President Robert Mugabe’s decades-long rule. Police have often used tear gas, water cannons and violence to crush the demonstrations.
The opposition parties had planned to protest for electoral reforms earlier this month, but police announced a two-week ban on demonstrations that was later overturned.
The new police proposal seeks to extend the ban to suburbs surrounding Harare’s business district. The proposal does not give a reason for the ban.
