HARARE, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean police on Tuesday banned a planned demonstration by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) against a 2 percent tax on electronic money transfers recently announced by the government.
The country's largest worker representative body had called for the protest on Wednesday following the tax decision, which has triggered a spate of price increases.
The tax was announced last week by finance minister Mthuli Ncube as a measure to raise more funds for social services.
The move, however, has been condemned by many Zimbabweans who feel that they are already over taxed.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said the demonstration cannot go ahead because the ban on public gatherings due to the cholera outbreak still stands.
"Therefore, the organizers of the intended demonstrations by ZCTU and its affiliates should take note of the government's directive particularly the movement of large numbers of people from one point to another which includes cholera epicenters," police said.
The police warned that if the situation turns violent, the ZCTU will be held accountable.
Police banned public gatherings last month after an outbreak of cholera, which has so far killed 49 people and infected more than 10,000 others, mainly in the capital Harare.
