On 28 October the NewsDay reports that a news crew covering a government- sponsored input scheme in Mutasa on October 26 was forced by unnamed people to delete some of the pictures they had taken of the chaotic food distribution process. On 14 October the NewsDay reports that Kwekwe mayor Matenda Madzoke and Kwekwe Central MP, Masango Matambanadzo both of ZANU PF, were barred by a ZANU PF councillor from addressing a Press Club meeting in his ward, saying he should have been consulted first. On 30 October the NewsDay reports that at least 100 war veterans on October 29 fought running battles with anti-riot police after staging a demonstration at Liquenda House in Harare, demanding money to pay for their children’s school fees. Police arrived in a Land Rover Defender truck and ran after the group of elderly men and women, beating some of them in the process. On 28 October SW Radio Africa reports that Former Energy Minister Elton Mangoma has demanded a retraction and an apology from the state-run Herald after the newspaper accused him of plotting to ‘kill’ the country’s sole power utility firm. On October 24 and 25, The Herald ran two stories headlined “Plot to kill ZESA flops” and “No plans to unbundle ZESA: Mavhaire”. The paper sensationally claimed: “The planned unbundling and privatization – which was reportedly being orchestrated by some officials at the Energy and Power Development Ministry in cahoots with former minister Mr Elton Mangoma – would have effectively put the critical power sector into the hands of unknown Western investors picked at Mr Mangoma’s discretion”. These allegations have incensed the former minister who, through his legal team, has written a letter demanding The Herald to retract the “false” and “malicious” allegations. On 1 November, Harare Magistrate Tendai Mahwe was due to deliver his ruling on an application in which the Election Resource Centre (ERC) wants its matter to be referred to the Constitutional Court to test the constitutionality of some provisions of the Electoral Act which criminalises freedom of expression and breaches the organisation and its employees’ fundamental rights. Magistrate Mahwe made the determination after ERC lawyer, Trust Maanda, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights filed an application seeking to declare as unconstitutional Section 40 of the Electoral Act for being in breach of Section 61, 62, 64 and 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe The ERC represented by the organisation’s director Tawanda Chimhini also wants the Constitutional Court to declare Section 40 of the Electoral Act as void for being overbroad, vague and imprecise. It also wants proceedings to be stayed pending the determination by the Constitutional Court of the abovementioned questions.\ On 15 November “Marondera’s brave and long suffering fighter for democracy and change”, Ian Kay, was suspended from the MDC for five years after comparing the MDC to a football team and saying that when the coach consistently fails to produce a win he should be changed. Iain Kay is a humble, quiet, gentle man. On 18 November, The MDC-T said the decision by the party’s Mashonaland East leadership to suspend Ian Kay for five years was not valid. 2b. Freedom of Association and Assembly This part of the Roadmap covered complaints from the MDC parties about abuse of the Public Order and Security Act (year) [POSA] by the police. Only activity (i) was agreed: (i) Meetings of the GPA Principals and the GPA negotiators with the Commissioner-General of Police were not achieved. If any full structured meetings ever took place, they seem to have been ineffective. Complaints have continued from civil society and political parties [except ZANU-PF] about police administration of POSA provisions about meetings and processions, even during the lead-up to the Referendum of 16th March, when “No Vote” campaigners found their activities frustrated by police and also towards the elections. (ii) POSA Amendments were not agreed to. MDC-T and MDC proposals for amendments to or review of POSA were rejected by ZANU-PF. And the MDC-T’s Chief Whip’s Private Member’s Bill to amend POSA, introduced in late 2009 and actually passed by the House of Assembly, has been effectively blocked by ZANU-PF manoeuvring in the Senate. 36