BINDURA -- The Restoration for Human Rights (ROHR) has criticised Bindura police for going on a witch-hunt of MDC supporters.The human rights group said two MDC members were arrested last Thursday on allegations of undermining the office of the president under section 186 of the Criminal Codification Act. ?
ROHR Information Officer, Ronald Mureverwi, said Makesure Mafukidze, an MDC Councillor for ward 3, was last week arrested in Bindura town on allegations that he made some utterances at a political rally earlier this year which the police claim undermined President Robert Mugabe. The police did not reveal the exact offending words that Mafukidze is supposed to have said.
Another MDC activist, Seymour Mhene, was also last week arrested for allegedly criticising the police and accusing them of bias against members of the former opposition.
ROHR said Mhene passed a comment during a recent New Zimbabwe lecture series, organised by the Research Foundation of Zimbabwe, condemning the police for being partisan and that they deliberately arrest members of the MDC on falsified charges.
The latest arrests from Bindura come just days after the arrests of Shepherd Mushonga, the MDC MP for Mazowe Central, who was detained last Saturday for also undermining the office of the President during a political rally last February.
The ROHR said the legislator was summoned to court but the case was thrown out because of lack of evidence.
The pressure group says the arrests deny people the much needed right to freedom of expression and free political activity.
Mureverwi added: What is happening is very unfortunate when our country is in a period of transition, when we are trying to enhance the spirit of inclusivity and to try and encourage people to mould democratic ideas through the public expressing themselves. We dont expect a situation where there is a cult of holy leaders that cannot be criticised.
Post published in: Opinions