Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
Box CY434 Causeway, Harare

Phone/Fax: 747 817

Email: [email protected]

STATEMENT

SECOND DAY IN CELLS FOR ACTIVISTS AS POLICE HANDS REMAIN TIED

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is outraged at the continued detention of its Chairperson, Professor Brian Raftopoulos, Vice-chairperson, Ms. Jana Ncube, Coordinator, Dr. John Makumbe, Chairperson of the NCA, Dr. Lovemore Madhuku, Chairperson of Harare Residence Association, Mr. Mike Davies, NCA activist Tabitha Khumalo, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions officials such as Wellington Chibhebhe, Lovemore Matombo, Lucia Matibenga, Raymond Majongwe and scores of others from around Zimbabwe.

Crisis condemns the heavy handed and illegal police reaction to the nationwide strike called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and supported by other non-governmental organisations such as Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Combined Harare Residence Association (CHRA) and others. It is indisputable that through the Public Order and Security Act, (POSA) the Zimbabwe government criminalizes the free exercise of the freedoms of association and expression enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution. Instead of upholding the Constitution and affording all Zimbabweans protection of the law by allowing demonstrators to freely express themselves, the police prohibit and brutally suppress all forms of dissent.

The police has now formally charged those arrested in Harare with violating sections of POSA, i.e. organising an unlawful demonstration and hindering the free flow of traffic. Even under the unconstitutional POSA, professional bodies such as the ZCTU do not need to give notice to the police of their intention to engage in a mass demonstration of their members. The demonstration could not, therefore, be said to be unlawful.

In what part of the world will demonstrators march without hindering the free flow of traffic? It is absurd and not justifiable in a democratic society that persons are prevented from expressing themselves on the frivolous ground that they will obstruct traffic. It is not the duty of the police to ban and arrest demonstrators but to ensure that demonstrators' rights to march are balanced with the rights of motorists and other persons.

It also transpires that the Attorney General's Office has declined to prosecute the detainees on the charges preferred on the basis that they are inappropriate. The police apparently now seek to change the charge to one under the Miscellaneous Offences Act, on a charge of breaching the peace. The desperate acts reflect desperation on the part of the police.

Contrary to claims that there is rule of law and that Zimbabwe must be readmitted into the Commonwealth because it has no case to answer, the illegal arrest and detention of civic society leaders by a now politically compromised police force illustrates that Zimbabwe is now a totalitarian state in which all manner of dissent is criminalized.

Crisis Coalition believes in the redress of the above-mentioned anomalies and is demanding the immediate release of all these activists and a repeal of repressive legislation NOW!

Issued on November 2003

ZIMBABWE: CIVIC LEADERS AND LABOUR ACTIVISTS ARRESTED
MEDIA ALERT

ZIMBABWE CIVIC LEADERS AND LABOUR ACTIVISTS ARRESTED

More than 52 activists, among them civil society leaders were arrested in
Harare City Centre this afternoon. Among these were the chairperson of
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Brian Raftopoulos, Crisis Coalition
Coordinator John Makumbe, the chairperson of NCA, Lovemore Madhuku, head of
Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe, Andrew Moyse, chairperson of Combined
Harare Residence Association, Mike Davies, well known NCA activist Tabitha
Khumalo as well as Chairperson of Women's Coalition, Janah Ncube.

The police also arrested Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union ZCTU, activists
and leaders including Wellington Chibebe, Lovemore Matombo and Ray Majongwe.

The majority of these protestors were arrested during a demonstration
organised by the ZCTU to protest High levels of Taxation, ever increasing
cost of living and the violation of human and trade human rights and through
this protest it was only urging the government to urgently address the
economic melt down.

The 52 are detained at the holding cells at the Harare Central Police
Station. At the close business police were still not clear what the charges
were. Efforts by human rights lawyers to determine what these people were
being charged with were fruitless. However the police made it clear that all
of them would be detained overnight. It is not certain whether they will be
released tomorrow or whether they will have to appear before a court.

"They will most probably come up with trumped up charges by tomorrow
morning" said one of the human rights lawyers working on the case.

Meanwhile many of them were complaining of having been assaulted by the riot
police when they were picked up.

Members of the police descended on the marching crowd a few minutes after it
took off at the State Lottery House in the city centre. Some of those
arrested were picked while walking towards the gathering while others where
picked from a nearby hotel.

This is the second time in six weeks that ZCTU has organised a protest. On
October 8, more than 165 Trade Unionists were arrested by Police country
wide and some were severely assaulted after the union called the nation wide
protest.

Meanwhile reports reaching the coalition indicate that 19 arrests were made
in Bulawayo following a similar march. One Bulawayo protestor was reportedly
run over by a car while trying to run away from the riot police. He was
hospitalized and is reported to be in a stable condition. Simultaneous
arrest was made in the cities of Mutare and Gweru.

The Crisis Coalition demands the unconditional immediate release of all the
protesters. It applauds the conviction demonstrated by the protestors in
risking arrest for the sake of their cause. The Coalition however denounces
the paranoid and heavy handed policing employed by the regime in preventing
even these peaceful demonstrations from going ahead.

It further demands the immediate repeal of unjust laws such as POSA and the
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) that restrict
people’s Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. It instead urges government
to uphold and respect citizens’ rights to peacefully express their position
on issues that affect their daily lives.

Issued on November 18, 2003

Information Officer
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
Box CY 434 Causeway, Harare
+263 4 747 817

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Crisis in Zimbabwe is a grouping of civil society organisations and
coalitions whose vision is a democratic Zimbabwe