The government of Zimbabwe will not allow externally sponsored opposition riots during the upcoming Southern African Development Community's summit in the country’s capital, Harare, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe R. Kazembe told local newspaper The Herald.
"ANY attempts by foreign-sponsored opposition elements to cause violent protests before or during the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government later this month will be met with befitting responses from the country’s law enforcement agents," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.
Minister Kazembe added that he was disappointed by the "misplaced priorities of sections of the opposition who are agitating to stir civil unrest at a time focus should be on hosting the summit."
The official suggested that the opposition was trying to provoke the authorities into a violent response in order to draw negative attention to the country.
Kazembe also noted that such attempts had been made before in similar situations and assured that the government would handle the situation. "Peace and security is guaranteed," he said.
Earlier, the Zimbabwean president's press office said Western-backed organizations were actively funding opposition groups to organize anti-government protests during the SADC summit. Security officials say the organizations in question are the Brenthurst Foundation, funded by the billionaire Oppenheimer family, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).