Zanu-PF ridicules jailed civil society, opposition activists after SADC summit in Harare

Zimbabwean police dispersing people at an intersection in Chitungwiza to prevent what they considered an illegal gathering. (Zinyange Auntony / AFP)

Zanu-PF commended state security for arresting suspected would-be protesters ahead of last week’s SADC summit in Harare.A Zanu-PF official said dissenters knew now what would happen to them.Around 200 civil society activists and opposition members have been arrested since mid-June.

In jailing 200 civil society activists and opposition members since June, the security sector in Zimbabwe “lived up to its billing” ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) ordinary summit of heads of state and government.

But with the summit done, those jailed cannot be a problem to the regime in Harare and so should be released.

This was suggested by Christopher Mutsvangwa, who sits in the ruling Zanu-PF’s politburo, the highest decision-making body outside congress.

“This was their last push at misbehaviour. They will never get another chance again. Now they know what will happen if they behave in a certain manner.

“I’m sure there will be a good reason to free them now that there is no show to disturb. There’s no reason to keep them at the state’s expense in jail after failing. We will reward their failure by giving them their freedom. There’s nothing to disturb anymore.

“There’s nobody to watch them, and no foreigners to watch them, we will release them because they are an expense to the state,” he said with laughter, addressing journalists in Harare.

READ | SADC meetings under way in Harare – but what about jailed activists and critics?

Amnesty International has been calling on the government to end their crackdown and immediately and unconditionally release everyone arrested for exercising their rights.

“Security forces have teargassed people in a private residence, beaten people so badly they needed hospitalisation, forcibly disappeared people for hours and tortured people in custody.

“The authorities must stop committing such violations and immediately release all detainees,” said Khanyo Farise, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for East and Southern Africa.

Opposition politician Prince Dubeko Sibanda, who is vocal about staging demonstrations at the summit, was arrested in Beitbridge on his return from a private visit to South Africa on Saturday.

He was then transported by the police to Harare where he was remanded, facing a charge of “incitement to commit public violence”. 

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The State said the accused posted messages on numerous WhatsApp groups and X [formerly Twitter] urging people to take to the streets.

It will seek to prove these allegations through “several witnesses who received the messages and responded to his inciting words”.

Sibanda is due for a bail hearing on Friday.

According to Human Rights Watch, with no significant action being taken by the government to protect human rights and guarantee justice for grave past violations, the situation regarding human rights in Zimbabwe was becoming worse.The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

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