#PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
HARARE
MASH
CENTRAL
ARTUZ President Obert Masaraure, CCC legislators Job Sikhala,
Godfrey Sithole and 11 CCC activists remained detained for the better
part of the month and at the time of witing this report they were still
detained. Masaraure was arrested on 8 July for inciting public
violence after he allegedly posted on Twitter urging teachers to
demand the release of his colleague, Robson Chere, who was in jail by
that time. Masaraure was apprehended on charges of obstructing and
defeating the course of justice.
CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was denied entry into Chikurubi
Maximum Security Prison where he sought to visit Sikhala, Godfrey
Sithole, and 11 other party activists. Chamisa was made to wait for
three hours before being told that he is a high-profile political leader,
he was supposed to seek clearance first from officials of the
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services(ZPCS). Officers of the
ZPCS at Chikurubi Maximum prison made Hon Tendai Biti of the CCC
to wait several hours when he sought to visit the party colleagues in
prison. He. Was also directed to seek permission from the
Commissioner General of the ZPCS. A few weeks before these
incidents Roselyn Hanzi had also been barred from visiting her
clients. The matter had to be resolved by the courts.
On 16 July Parere Kunyenzura, the leader of the Zimbabwe
Transformative Party (ZTP), and some of his party’s leadership were
arrested in Harare’s central business district during what a party
official said was a prayer walk. On 12 July, the police hauled Sikhala
out of Chikurubi to press more charges following his arrest in
connection with the Nyatsime violence. They charged him with
obstructing or defeating the course of justice using the same
circumstances as the first charge. It is alleged that Sikhala was barred
from seeking medical attention at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
In the province, Zanu PF supporters continued to threaten to unleash
violence if the ruling party loses the 2023 elections. For example, former
Zanu PF Chairperson Kufa Gwingwizha has been going around
intimidating opposition supporters in Mazowe Central, Chiweshe at
Chaona Business Centre ward 3. Gwingwizha is inciting villages to kill
opposition supporters ahead of the 2023 elections. On 23 July he
reportedly addressed a village meeting in ward 3 saying that all CCC
supporters deserve to die. He said these words in full view of community
members and chastised villagers to clap hands for him. The widespread
violence is going to affect the environment in the run up to the elections
unless something is done and done urgently to deescalate the tensions.
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