The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has refused to approve a meeting organised by MDC-T deputy president, Thokozani Khupe, citing inadequate manpower.
Khupe was scheduled to hold a meeting today, with Bulawayo district structures at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre, but police said they do not have enough manpower to provide security, as the event coincided with International Cricket Council World Cup qualifiers. Speaking to NewsDay, Khupe’s personal assistant, Witness Dube confirmed the development and added that the meeting has been rescheduled. Said Dube:
The police cited that the cricket match, taking place on the same day, and that would leave them with insufficient manpower to cover a political meeting on the same day. We agreed to have our meeting pushed forward because we are desperate for police security, given the appetite for violence by our colleagues.
Last weekend, violence broke out between Khupe’s supporters and those backing MDC-T president, Nelson Chamisa after the former held a private meeting at the party’s provincial headquarters.
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