Zimbabwe’s main opposition party goes to court to challenge a police decision to ban its rally #Zimbabwes #main #opposition #party #court #challenge #police #decision #ban #rally

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s main opposition party went to court Saturday to challenge a police decision to ban a political rally it wants to hold in the buildup to what will be highly scrutinized elections next month.

The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change party has been told it cannot hold the gathering in the town of Bindura north of the capital, Harare, on Sunday. The venue is unsuitable as it is a “bushy area” without “serviceable roads,” according to the police order.

The CCC says the ban is another example of how President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is suppressing and stifling opposition ahead of elections on Aug. 23.

Ground staff pull over the rain cover onto Court no. 18 on day six of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

The rain returned to Wimbledon on Day 6 of the grass-court tournament. Only one match was completed before play was suspended on all outside courts.

Protesters march toward the Japanese Embassy during rally against the Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Hundreds of people have marched in South Korea’s capital demanding Japan scrap its plans to release treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Migrants from Eritrea, Libya and Sudan crowd the deck of a wooden boat as they wait to be assisted by aid workers of the Spanish NGO Open Arms, in the Mediterranean sea, about 30 miles north of Libya, Saturday, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

A court in the Libyan capital has sentenced three people to harsh prison terms on charges of human trafficking.

Bosnian Muslim men pray before the start of the "March of Peace", march to remember the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in Nezuk, Bosnia, Saturday, July 8, 2023. A solemn peace march started on Saturday through forests in eastern Bosnia in memory of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's only acknowledged genocide since World War II. The 100-kilometre (60-mile) march traces a route taken by Bosniak men and boys as they tried to flee Srebrenica after it was captured by Bosnian Serb forces in the closing days of the country's interethnic war in the 1990s. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

A solemn peace march has started through forests in eastern Bosnia in memory of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe’s only acknowledged genocide since World War II.

The southern African nation has a history of violent and disputed elections, including five years ago when Mnangagwa won a close vote after replacing Robert Mugabe as president in a coup.

The High Court in Harare was hearing the CCC’s challenge to the ban on its rally on Saturday. The opposition party would decide on the “way forward” after the court gave a ruling, said spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere.

The CCC and independent rights groups have accused Mnangagwa’s government of tamping down the opposition by arresting their officials and supporters and banning their meetings in the runup to the vote, while ruling party supporters have also used violence to intimidate opposition supporters.

CCC leader Nelson Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the 2018 presidential election and had his claim of vote-rigging dismissed by the Constitutional Court.

The 80-year-old Mnangagwa promised a new era of democracy after the coup that overthrew long-ruling autocrat Mugabe, but critics say Mnangagwa is as repressive as his predecessor.

A tense political atmosphere, exacerbated by an economic crisis in the country, has led to fears of more violence around next month’s elections.

The election will decide the presidency but also the composition of the 350-seat Parliament and nearly 2,000 local government positions.

A former ruling party stalwart who was exiled following the 2017 coup that brought Mnangagwa to power is also among the 11 candidates aiming to stand for president. Saviour Kasukuwere has promised to return to Zimbabwe to campaign but authorities say he faces arrest for alleged past crimes.