Mugabe birthday marchers held by police

Mugabe birthday marchers held by police

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By Lebo Nkatazo

ZIMBABWEAN police on Thursday arrested at least 62 members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) marching against a lavish birthday celebration for President Mugabe.

Mugabe, who turned 82 on Tuesday, has turned his birthdays into a national event that is associated with feasting by Zanu PF supporters and expressed public adulation for him.

This year’s celebrations, to be held at the weekend in Mutare, are expected to gobble $10 billion. The money was raised mainly by the party’s youth wing through appeals some of which were directed at struggling private companies.

In a statement released on Thursday the NCA said: “ Instead of diverting all the billions of dollars to avert hunger and jumpstart the economy, the regime decides to sponsor Mugabe’s birthday party in Mutare."

This is the first demonstration by the NCA in history to demonstrate against the feasting. All the other demonstrations have been directed at pressing for a new, home-grown constitution to replace the current British-sponsored one which has been amended 17 times since independence from Britain in 1980.

Prior to the demonstration, a group of women aligned to the NCA held protests against the event in the capital on Tuesday and were arrested but released the following day without any charges having been preferred against them.
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