Tsvangirai had been scheduled to hold three public meetings at Cyril Jennings Hall in Highfields, Budiriro Community Hall on Thursday and Glen View 1 Hall on Friday, but police refused him permission, saying the MDC-T leader did not inform them in time.

Ironically, one of the co-ministers of Home Affairs, Theresa Makone, is a powerful member of Tsvangirai's kitchen cabinet and is directly responsible for the police.

The officer commanding Harare South district, Chief Superintendent TA Chagwedera, barred the meetings, citing provisions of the repressive Public Order and Security Act (Posa) which requires political parties first to seek permission from the police before holding public gatherings or meetings.

However, President Robert Mugabe has been holding rallies without police clearance. On Thursday Mugabe addressed a public gathering in Gutu in Masvingo, where he officiated at the installation of a chief.

"The MDC is appalled by the action shown by the police in using the draconian Posa to bar peaceful public gatherings. The party is equally disturbed by the attempts by Zanu-PF to abuse the police in achieving political ends," said MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa, who is pushing for further amendments to the restrictive law.

But the banning of Tsvangirai's meetings - which sought to hear the views of his party faithful on the way forward following the much-publicised fallout with Mugabe over the arbitrary appointment of six ambassadors and the reappointment of 10 Zanu-PF governors- came as speculation swirled in Harare that Zanu-PF is in the process of reactivating state security structures in preparation for next year's elections.

The Zimbabwe National Army, the ZRP and the Central Intelligence Organisation, played a pivotal role in the 86-year-old leader's violent presidential election campaign in 2008.

By The Times (SA)