Zimbabwean police have announced a fresh ban on protests in the capital Harare, state media said today.This is being seen as another attempt to end demonstrations against veteran ruler President Robert Mugabe.<br/><br/>The order came hours after a coalition of opposition parties said they would stage mass rallies across the country on Saturday to push for reform before elections due in 2018. Anti-government campaigners vowed to defy the order and also appeal to the courts. <br/><br/>An earlier protest ban in Harare was overturned by the courts last week, despite Mugabe vowing a crackdown on dissent and blasting judges for what he called reckless rulings allowing previous rallies Opposition to Mugabe's 36-year reign has grown in recent months with a surge of public demonstrations, triggered by an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers.

Zimbabwean police have announced a fresh ban on protests in the capital Harare, state media said today.This is being seen as another attempt to end demonstrations against veteran ruler President Robert Mugabe.<br/><br/>The order came hours after a coalition of opposition parties said they would stage mass rallies across the country on Saturday to push for reform before elections due in 2018. Anti-government campaigners vowed to defy the order and also appeal to the courts. <br/><br/>An earlier protest ban in Harare was overturned by the courts last week, despite Mugabe vowing a crackdown on dissent and blasting judges for what he called reckless rulings allowing previous rallies Opposition to Mugabe's 36-year reign has grown in recent months with a surge of public demonstrations, triggered by an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers.