HWANGE - Police in Hwange on Tuesday blocked lawyers and MDCThe police blocked the lawyers Lizwe Jamela, Nosimilo Chanayiwa of
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and Nikiwe Ncube of Webb, Low
and Barry Legal Practitioners, who is also a member of ZLHR from
reaching Hwange Magistrates Court after they surprising set up a road
block as lawyers entered into the coal mining town to attend court
proceedings for Father Mkandla and Mzila-Ndlovu, who have been
languishing in police detention since their arrest last week.
It appears that the police roadblock had been mounted specifically to
target the lawyers for yet unknown reasons.
Meanwhile, Qhubani Moyo, the MDC-N partys national organizing
secretary, Nhlahla Dube the party spokesperson, Rita Ndlovu, secretary
for recruitment and Noble Malunguza director for implementation,
strategy and planning for Matebeleland South; together with human
rights lawyers were also detained.
Among those arrested was an MP in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais
MDC, Hwange Central MP Brian Tshuma, together with Abednigo Bhebhe,
the MDC-T deputy provincial chairperson for Mat North.
They reportedly told them that they wanted to verify if the engine
number tallied with records of the central vehicle registration.
They were only freed last night
The ZLHR said one police officer quickly jumped into the lawyers
vehicle after stopping them and ordered them to drive towards Hwange
Police Station. The police interrogated the lawyers in a move
apparently meant to block them from representing their clients.
Father Mkandla and Bulilima West Member of Parliament Hon. Mzila
Ndlovu were arrested on Wednesday 13 April 2011 and Friday 15 April
2011 respectively and charged with contravening the countrys tough
security laws such as the Public Order and Security Act and the
Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly convening a
healing service at Silwane Primary School in Lupane, Matabeleland
North, without notifying the police.
Meanwhile, the minister appeared in the Hwange magistrate Court later
on Tuesday. He was granted US$500 bail by Hwange Magistrate Peter
Tomupei Madiba and given stringent bail conditions, including
surrendering his passport and title deeds to his home and reporting to
the police. He will however remain behind bars because his passport is
in Bulawayo and can only be freed Wdnesday.
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