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Anti-Mahita demo planned in Zanzibar
2006-02-22 07:55:45
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) plans to stage a big demonstration in Zanzibar on Saturday to press for the sacking of Inspector General of Police, Omari Mahita.
Salum Bimani, CUF Deputy Director of Policy and Information, told a news conference yesterday that the demonstration would involve participants from three Unguja regions.
The demonstration is scheduled to start at Mnazi Mmoja grounds and protesters would pass on Michenzani and Komba Wapya roads, en route to Lumumba grounds where they would be addressed by CUF Chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba and Secretary-General Seif Shariff Hamad.
We’ve already informed the Police Force of our intention to stage a peaceful demonstration as required by law.
We’re holding the protest march for the simple reason that the serious allegations levelled against CUF by Mahita are in direct contravention of principles of democracy and good governance,’ Bimani said.
He added that CUF hoped that President Jakaya Kikwete would sack Mahita before the country’s top policeman retired ’because he has failed to tackle crime and is instead using CUF as a scapegoat’.
CUF last Sunday organised a demonstration attended by hundreds of protestors in Dar es Salaam in response to Mahita’s pronouncement that the party had a hand in the crime wave that swept the country a few weeks ago.
Mahita, IGP for the past ten years, displayed knives which he said were seized from CUF supporters in the run-up to last year’s general election.
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