Party leaders to hold joint rallies

“The purpose of the meetings will be to inform the greater public on the need to tolerate each other. This is an idea of all the parties in the inclusive Government, so we will go to all the provinces with the same message of tolerance and co-existence.”

Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga added: “We are waiting for the principals to give us the dates and as you may be aware the President is on leave so maybe the meetings will be held in February.
“It was the principals who requested that they wanted to go to all the provinces with the same intention of urging no violence.”
MDC-T secretary general Mr Tendai Biti could not be reached for comment.

MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said Mr Biti had not found time to brief them of the intended meetings.
He said they will make a decision on participation once a number of areas are clarified.

“It should be made clear in what capacity the principals will be addressing the people if they are to address together. I.e. are they addressing as presidents of parties or in their government roles?” Mr Mwonzora said.
“We also want to know in what order they will speak i.e. are they going to speak in alphabetical order, are they going to use their ages or their government positions in taking turns to speak?

“We also want to know the message and how it is going to be communicated. If there are agreements on these issues then I don’t see serious objections to this initiative.”
Mr Mwonzora said they welcome any initiative that brings peace to Zimbabwe or is calculated to end violence.
“However, the substance of the principals’ proposed campaign must address the question of selective application of the law by law enforcement agents,” he said.

“They must clearly indicate that there will not be any sacred cows when it comes to dealing with perpetrators of violence.
“We, therefore, expect the principals to give orders unequivocally to law enforcement agents especially the police to stop acting in a partisan manner.”
At the meeting with party officials in November, President Mugabe, PM Tsvangirai and Prof Ncube urged the police to decisively deal with perpetrators of political violence.

The meeting sought to address inter-party tensions rocking some parts of the country. The leaders called for the establishment of inter-party committees in lower structures to stem political violence.