Provincial Outlook
Harare
The state continued to deny citizens their rights to freedom of assembly and
association and the freedom to demonstrate and petition. On September 26,
police officers disrupted a parents’ demonstration at Kambuzuma High 1. The
police dispersed parents who intended to demonstrate against alleged corruption
at the school while some got detained at the Kambuzuma police post. Some
University of Zimbabwe students who demonstrated against fee hikes at the
institution on September 12 were assaulted, arrested, and detained at Avondale
police station. The protestors were later transferred to Harare Central police
station and charged with inciting public violence. They appeared in court and were
released on bail. The arrests and detention of citizens continued in September
following the arrest of CCC activists Job Sikhala, Godfrey Sithole, and other victims
of the Nyatsime violence in June 2022. On September 29, CCC activist Felix Bhiri
was arrested by the police after being abducted and assaulted by suspected Zanu
PF activists in Nyatsime. The victim was reportedly abducted and taken to a base
where he was assaulted for unknown reasons. He was later picked up by the
police and charged with inciting public violence following the June 14 Nyatsime
violence.
The police blocked a memorial gala for the late former President Robert Mugabe
set for the Zimbabwe Grounds on September 17. Officer Commanding Police
Harare South District Chief Superintendent M Majojo responded, turning down an
application by former Zanu PF youth leader Jim Kunaka to notify the police. Many
government schools in Harare turned pupils away for not paying tuition fees,
violating Section 75 (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which stipulates that
“Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to a basic Statefunded education, including adult basic education.” In most instances, pupils were
told to return home to collect fees while others were told not to report to school
until the school authorities received a payment.
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