Zimbabwean police plan to ban public demonstrations in the capital for a month, according to a public notice issued on Tuesday that opposition lawyers said marked a slide towards a police state.
Political tension is rising in the southern African nation after protests in the last three months against the rule of 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe, who has held power since independence from Britain in 1980.
Angered by a jobless rate above 80 per cent and the worst fiscal crunch and cash shortages since the adoption of the US dollar in 2009, many
Zimbabweans have taken to social media to organise anti-government activities.
In a notice published in the state-owned Herald newspaper, Harare police commander Newbert Saunyama announced "a proposed temporary prohibition order" for public demonstrations in central Harare from September 16 to October 15.
A High Court judge last week ruled that a previous two-week police ban had not been issued correctly and violated the constitution.
Tendai Biti, a former finance minister and prominent lawyer who challenged the initial ban, said the law the police were using was unconstitutional.
Under security laws, police can ban demonstrations for up to a month if there is justification but can only do so after issuing a notice of their intention, to allow affected parties to make submissions.
"It is quite clear that we are now moving into a police state and it means that lawyers like myself and others we will do everything to fight back," Biti said.
Opposition parties said on Monday they would hold a weekend protest nationwide - with or without police clearance - to press the
Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission to ensure free and fair elections in 2018.
Eighteen opposition parties under the National Election Reform Agenda (NERA) said the
Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission is biased in favour of Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF and is run by security agents loyal to Mugabe, charges the agency denies.
The parties want the next vote in 2018 to be supervised by international observers, including the United Nations and seek changes in election laws they say hinder a free and fair vote.
"We are going ahead with the demonstration with or without their (police) blessing. We don't need their permission, we have the law in our favour, we are sure we are right," NERA official and Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Douglas Mwonzora told reporters.
Police on August 26 fired tear gas and water cannon at opposition leaders and hundreds of demonstrators at an anti-government protest, before unrest swept across large parts of the capital Harare.