On the spot Breaking News, disclosed daily!

War vets threaten to block parliament entry                             

                                           By Vusi Moyo 31-08-08                                            

Bulawayo-Zimbabwe's war veterans' movement plans to prevent the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) from entering parliament until they apologise for heckling and booing President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday during his official opening speech.

The movement's national chairperson Jabulani Sibanda is reported to have contacted state media institutions revealing the plan.

Sibanda said: "What the MDC did is un-African. We will force them to apologise for disrespecting the legitimate president of Zimbabwe."

Sources from the state media who spoke to the controversial war veterans' leader say Sibanda's voice had overtones of violent assaults on the MDC and its supporters.

The threats suggest retribution against opposition supporters who bore the brunt of brutal acts in the run up to the 27 June presidential run off.

Scores of opposition supporters were murdered in the run up to the presidential election at the instigation of operations that were being commandeered by the liberation war heroes to ensure President Mugabe's victory.

According to Sibanda, the liberation war veterans are to embark to marches similar to the one dubbed "Million men march" they held in November last year to garner support for President Mugabe.

The million men march was used to intimidate opposition supporters in the run up to the March elections.

On Tuesday soon after Mugabe's speech, scores of ZANU PF supporters who had gathered at parliament protested as MDC legislators emerged from the building and marched to the building which houses the opposition in central Harare.

Meanwhile the main opposition MDC says it has unearthed a plot by the Attorney General's office and members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to secure
convictions against MDC MPs in a bid to reverse its majority in
Parliament.

Deputy Attorney General, Johannes Tomana is said to be leading the plot in which Zanu PF is planning to secure convictions and lay more charges against MDC MPs.

Last week five MDC MPs were arrested in Harare during the opening of
the 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Four of them, Pearson Mungofa, the MP for Highfield East, Eliah
Jembere, Epworth; Bednock Nyaude, Bindura South and Trevor Saruwaka,
Mutasa Central are still in police custody. They were denied bail.

Nyaude was granted bail by a Bindura magistrate but the State has appealed.