HARARE – MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda addressed reporters on Wednesday in the wake of the deployment of soldiers to crush protests by MDC Alliance supporters angry with what they said was vote manipulation by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
He urged “Zimbabweans and supporters to exercise their rights with due regard to the law and the rights of other citizens”, saying the MDC Alliance and its supporters felt “deeply hurt and vulnerable in our own country.”
“Civilians are allowed to demand their rights in a lawful manner. Any disorder may be dealt with by police who are best trained for the maintenance of public order. Soldiers are trained to kill during war. We are seriously made to wonder what this means. Are we in war? Are civilians the enemy of the state?”
At least four people were killed in the clashes, although the death toll may rise after several others were taken to hospitals around Harare.
