Own Correspondent|Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has postponed his Vision 2020 address that was set for Mai Musodzi hall in Mbare after police refused to clear the gathering citing personnel shortage due to school opening.

In banning the event, police said they were not able to provide enough security during the event as their members were busy with the current schools opening.

The ban on the main opposition’s event elicited fierce rebuke by MDC deputy national spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka who claimed the state was treating his party like a terrorist organisation.

“The police have today proscribed Agenda 2020, a key event for the party that was scheduled for tomorrow in Mbare, Harare, citing flimsy excuses that the event cannot proceed because the police are busy with the schools that are opening this week, as if the police have anything to do with opening of schools,” said Tamborinyoka while addressing local media at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House.

“We are noting a disturbing trend where the police are routinely proscribing MDC events and treating the party as a banned organisation in the country.

“We continue to be treated like a banned or a terrorist organisation when we are a legitimate political party that is in Parliament and that controls 28 out of 32 urban local authorities.

“For fear of our (supporters) lives against this brutal dictatorship, and given what this regime has done before, we have decided to postpone the Agenda 2020 event to next week on Tuesday at a venue to be announced.

“We have postponed the event because the regime was budgeting for a clash, for blood and for violence and as a party we will not sacrifice the lives of innocent Zimbabweans.”

An attempt to hold a similar event in November last year ended with police beating up and injuring scores of MDC supporters who had gathered outside the party’s Harare headquarters for Chamisa’s address.

Chamisa was set to give his Hope of the Nation Address.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has kept a tight rein on MDC activities amid growing fears of a popular uprising against the under-fire national leader.