Ban on Political Rallies Still Stands - Says Police

Police have maintained their stand to ban all public meetings indefinitely as CHADEMA. Yesterday declared its intention to go ahead with plans to hold nationwide rallies on September 1. CHADEMA have said they intend to hold the rallies to denounce what the party termed as violation of principles

of good governance by the government.

The police force issued a stop order for any rally in the country by banning all meetings by political parties, warning that whoever would be caught defying the directive would squarely dealt with.
Despite the previous ban, National CHADEMA Chairman Freeman Mbowe told a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday that they were prepared for the event. He said his party has started internal meetings to discuss the state of politics in the country ahead of the planned rallies.

“The party’s lawyers will also meet to review events that have occurred so far to enable them take possible legal action against the government,” he said while briefing journalists on deliberations reached by the party’s national executive committee, which met last weekend.

In a swift response on Mr Mbowe’s remarks, Commissioner of Police for Training and Operations, Mr Nsato Mssanzya, said he was less concerned with the recent declaration by CHADEMA, insisting that the country’s laws must be respected.

“It must be understood that the directive previously made regarding public rallies is the one I am concerned about. If they (CHADEMA) met and reached such agreement regarding the same issue, then it is their problem and none of my business,” he told the ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview.

Mr Mssanzya further said that both (police and the opposition party) operate under certain laid down rules and regulations set by the law.

“If anyone violates any of them, the law will take its course,’’ he pointed out. He cited an example of what happened after CHADEMA had tried to block the ruling CCM from holding its national congress in Dodoma last week.

President John Magufuli had on several occasions added his voice on political rallies, saying that “the time for politicking is over’’. Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba is also on record as warning leaders of political parties who agitate for violence to brace for the full wrath of the law.

Culled from Daily News