On 17 February 2021, State security agents arrested
pro-democracy
campaigner
Makomborero
Haruzivishe in what has been described as a mafia
style.
Haruzivishe was ambushed by men in two unmarked
vehicles and shots were fired as they subdued him
and later took him to Harare Central Police Station
where they surrendered him to the police.
Haruzivishe is among the faces of dissent and
resistance against the government’s suppression of
human rights and has been on the forefront of
leading demonstrations against the abduction of
Tawanda Muchehiwa and the involvement of the
state-security-linked Impala Car Rental in the
abduction.
Haruzivishe is being charged with kidnapping,
participating in a gathering to promote public
violence and contravening COVID-19 protocols.
Earlier, on 11 February, outspoken Norton Member of
Parliament Temba Mliswa was arrested at his
Borrowdale house while addressing a press
conference on his alleged relationship scandals. MDC
Alliance youth activists Joanna Mamombe and Cecilia
Chimbiri were also arrested by the police who
accused them of undermining their authority The
duo petitioned the police to release the protestors
citing that they risked infecting them with Covid-19
as they was no social distancing in the overloaded
police vehicle. They were detained for eight days
before being released on bail.
Zimbabwean authorities on Friday 26 February 2021
arrested student leaders, juveniles and a journalist in
a fresh crackdown on human rights defenders.
First to be arrested by ZRP officers, were three
students namely Richard Paradzayi, Paidamoyo
Masaraure and Liam Kanengoni, who were
apprehended at Harare Magistrates Court on
allegations of unnecessary movement.
Paradzayi, Masaraure and Kanengoni were detained
at Harare Central Police Station.
ZRP officers also arrested Kumbirai Mafunda, a
freelance journalist inside Harare Magistrates Court,
where he was covering the appearance in court of
Haruzivishe.
Earlier in the month, police in Machipisa, Highfields,
Harare, had briefly detained NewsDay journalist
Simbarashe Sithole and disregarded his pleas that he
was a media practitioner rightfully conducting his
duties.
These cases just go to show how the State continues
to use the police and the judiciary to stifle the voices
of human
journalists.
rights
and
political
activists,
and
Every person has a right to personal liberty, as
enshrined in Section 2 of the Constitution, and where
that liberty is to be deprived, it has to be done
lawfully ‘ upon reasonable suspicion that he or she
has committed or is about to commit a criminal
offence.
Where someone is arrested, they have, according to
Section 69, “the right to a fair and public trial within
a reasonable time before an independent and
impartial court.”
What is being witnessed in Zimbabwe is where
opposition political activists and civil society actors
being arrested and detained for weeks without
getting bail in what clearly an attempt to subdue
alternative voices.
In respect of the above, Zimbabwe cannot continue
to be in the spotlight for human rights violations as
this affects, not just its image, but also stifles any
growth and development.
Citizens cannot continue to live in fear as this
country is supposed to be a fully-fledged democracy
where the freedom of expression is guaranteed, and
where ideas can flow, and where civil society,
political parties and the general population play their
role of contributing to a better Zimbabwe without
fear of any repercussions.
• We repeat our calls for government to do the
right thing and open up democratic space and
allow citizens to express themselves as espoused
in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
• It is only in a society where citizens are free to
express themselves that development, economic,
political and social, takes places. Government
needs to adopt and accept criticism as
constructive and allow a free flow of ideas
• The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission should
be proactive by not only acting on complaints
received, but by compelling government to
observe human rights. As a commission that is
supposed to be independent and is meant to
protect the people from human rights abuses
perpetrated by those in powerful positions, the
ZHRC should take a bottom up approach, and
deal with the human rights violations targeting
the general, defenceless population.
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