Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said security agencies were on high alert to thwart any Kenya-style violence in the country after next weekend’s election.
The country holds fiercely-contested presidential, parliamentary and local government elections 29 March, which the opposition has warned could spark Kenya-style violence if rigged.
But Mugabe, who is being strongly challenged for the top job by two opposition candidates, said adequate security forces had been mobilised to ensure post-election stability.
He accused the opposition, particularly his main opponent Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), of planning to engage in violent protests if he lost the polls.
“The nonsense being talked about – the Kenya scenario – won’t happen here. Our security forces are ready to deal with that,” Mugabe said.
“So Tsvangirai can dream on,” he added.
The police have kept an eagle eye on political proceedings in the run-up to the poll, and have warned they will shoot to kill anyone endangering security.
They have banned a variety of weapons, including catapults, spears and arrows, axes and dangerous knives in public places.
Mugabe’s comments came in the wake of warnings by an MDC official that Zimbabwe was headed for Kenya-style post-election violence because of suspected rigging planned by the authorities. Panapress.
