HARARE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government has warned the opposition MDC Alliance that it will be held accountable if its planned demonstration on Thursday results in loss of life and limb or damage to property.
The warning follows post election violence which happened on Aug. 1 and resulted in the loss of six lives and damage to property.
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has said his party will demonstrate to push for a transitional authority, arguing that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is not legitimately in office.
State-controlled newspaper the Herald reported Tuesday that Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) George Charamba told it that the onus was on the opposition party to ensure there was no injury to life and damage to property.
"Section 59 of the Constitution is very clear, it confers the right to demonstrate on all Zimbabweans," he said.
"There is no intention of withdrawing that constitutional right except there is a qualification on that right both at the level of the Constitution and subsidiary law.
"Apparently, our laws place a burden on the organizers of that demonstration to make sure there is no injury to life, limb or property. In the event of any damage at whatever level, the onus is on the organizers and that must be known fully by the MDC Alliance," he said.
Charamba added that the demonstrators would not be given access to certain protected areas.
"There are certain places which are protected at law which means you can't violate those places and there is a difference between expressing your grievance and violating the law," he said.
"Certain things may not happen," he warned.
