Gaborone, Botswana — Botswanan opposition activists took to the streets of capital Gaborone over the weekend earlier than total elections situation for this Wednesday. They wanted to march to Zimbabwe’s embassy with a petition that voiced concerns the neighboring nation is conspiring to succor Botswana’s ruling celebration lengthen its 58-year sustain on vitality. But the marchers did now not reach their destination.
The weekend march used to be organized by a coalition of opposition parties under the Umbrella for Democratic Commerce, or UDC.
But police, wielding guns, batons and shields pushed abet the marchers and barricaded roads, forcing them to disperse.
UDC representative Phenyo Butale read out the petition despite the failed effort to reach the Zimbabwean Embassy. The petition told Zimbabwe no longer to interfere in Botswana’s election.
Butale told VOA there had been experiences Zimbabwe desires to succor the ruling Botswana Democratic Social gathering, or BDP, by helping it rig this Wednesday’s election. The celebration has been in vitality since 1966. Its candidate, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, is seeking a second time duration. He faces three challengers.
“We decided to march to the Zimbabwe Embassy because we have been receiving credible information that there is an attempt by the Zimbabwean government to assist their friends here, the ruling party in Botswana, through clandestine means,” Butale said.
He said the police had been no longer presupposed to stop them from marching to the embassy.
“We were met by brute force,” he said. “Heavily armed police blocked the way and said we cannot go to the embassy; we need a permit. We told them that our interpretation of the law is that the process of asking for a permit is not because we need permission to enjoy our freedom of expression; the purpose is for the police to facilitate us and ensure our safety.”
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Police said that for an indication to happen the organizers must obtain a enable first.
But political analyst Zibani Maundeni, a professor at the College of Botswana, says the police’s actions would possibly per chance be viewed as political.
“The police have to be a neutral body,” Maundeni said. “If people organize a peaceful demonstration, there is no reason it should be stopped. In many countries in the region, the police have been a problem, acting in favor of the ruling party.”
Meanwhile, the ruling BDP has denied claims it is working with Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF celebration to win the elections.
Equally, ZANU-PF spokesperson Farai Marapira said there’ll not be any longer any truth in the Botswana opposition’s allegations.
“We do not interfere in the internal activities of any other country, Marapira said. “We do now not interfere in the processes. We admire the electoral processes in varied countries, and we abet what the folk of those countries can luxuriate in made up our minds on. Right here’s wonderful absurd and an insult to ZANU-PF and an insult to the folk of Botswana themselves.”
The handling of early voting in Botswana has also been criticized, with experiences saying some polling stations ran out of pollpapers.
Masisi is a dilapidated vp. He took office in 2018 after he used to be handpicked to prevail President Ian Khama, who stepped down that year. Masisi used to be formally elected in 2019 to a 5-year time duration.
