Inside the Zanu (PF) mind

It will not go to sleep, and will use all its machinery to remain in control of the state apparatus of oppression and remain in power. I have had a personal experience of the state of play with the Zanu (PF) machinery in the last month where I leant what the rogue regime wants, what it is afraid of, its capacity and determination to remain in the control of Zimbabwe and its rich resources.

On the 19th of February, myself and 45 other comrades from the International Socialist Organisation, Zimbabwe, labour Unions, Students, HIV/AIDS support groups and residents Association leaders, were arrested at a meeting that had been organised to commemorate the death of one gallant AIDS activist and also to discuss the exciting developments in North Africa, in the face of Mubaraks departure in Egypt and the Tunisia mass action which dislodged Ben Ali. It took police five days to charge us after the dragnet arrest.

Charged with treason

During the 5 days from the 19th of February to the 23rd, they were using numerous methods to interrogate their hot suspects. Finally when we were taken to court, treason was the charge laid against us and this is the charge we are going to go on trial for. Until today I have struggled to convince myself that there was any semblance of treason in the acts, speeches and the singing that characterized the meeting on the 19th of February 2011. It is the experience of this debacle from the 19th of February 2011, that I draw my confessions that Zanu (PF) is determined to rule Zimbabwe forever.

In any case, their mouth-pieces have said it publicly that Mugabe will rule for ever. Whether that will happen or not, is the homework for any Zimbabwean.

Immediately after our arrest, we were taken to the Harare central police station where upon arrival, an un-identified man gave indications on who had spoken in the meeting to some the visibly angry and charged, un-uniformed personnel. After the flash and short parade, myself and four others were immediately taken to some unmarked offices in the basement of the Law and Order section at the station. I do not know what happened to those that remained at the parade.

We were ordered to take off our shoes and lie down while three men repeatedly took turn to beat us under the feet, buttocks, ankles, face, and the head using wooden planks and logs. This lasted for about two hours in which we were forced to recite our speeches and write them down. They also took our personal details in the process.

A rogue crew

There was no chance to refuse to speak as we could clearly see that we were dealing with a rogue crew, ready to kill, as their confessions sounded. These men made it known to us that they were not polices officers and that we were going to face more beatings at the hands of the police and soldiers. We were told that President Mugabe and Zanu (PF) were there to stay and that any actions whether legal or otherwise, that would defeat president Mugabe would not see the light of day.

At this time, I did not believe that I was going to see my family again. I tried to imagine where my colleagues we had left at the parade were since I had been told that I was not going to see them again, but could not figure it out.

We were also shuttled between two offices where interrogations continued. I was only spared the beatings when I started bleeding, at which point I was taken to a toilet where I was ordered to wash my white shirt, before I was transferred to the law and order section where I found my fellow colleagues who had not been taken for the first phase of beatings.

Prayers and demons

We were later to be booked into the station cells for the next four days, before the first appearance in court. I must say there was a clear distinction between those who beat us and those who beat us and those who identified themselves as the Law and Order officers who handled the case. Those who beat us up disappeared the second day and we never saw them again.

Our prayer in the five days became one for a quick process to court so we could better go to remand prison rather than the filthy Harare Central Police cells where even our cell phone batteries were at risk. Many of our comrades lost valuables and only discovered after we left. We also felt the demons would come back to us and re-open the wounds.

On the third day we were mad to sign Warned and cautioned statements on charges of subverting a constitutional government, and subsequently, eight of us were taken to the Attorney Generals office purportedly on our way to court. But we were later returned to the Harare Central Police station after what police details said, was an order from the AG to put their papers in order. We had a temporary sigh of relief as we thought the charge levelled against us was too harsh and the AG had also realized its un-sustainability. Little did we know that so hidden hand was busy brewing and even more toxic charge of treason.

And the following day all of us, including those who had been promised freedom, were taken to court where the pronouncement of the treason charge was as thunderous as an electric shock. We all agreed that this was horrible and we were going to refuse to be remanded on the charge. This is the route we took and it took some days before a judgment on our application was heard. We were thus placed in the custody of the prison at remand prison.

Life in remand

Life at remand was different, although the dilemma of living under the detention of state machinery was equally traumatic. We soon came to terms with leg-irons, handcuffs and the popular foren call, which was a call for orderly sitting

for headcount in the cells and elsewhere.

During the period in remand prison we battled day and night to find out which bag of tricks the state had left at the courts as the prosecutor had shown some venom all the time we went to court. We wondered what kind of pressure, magistrates and judges were under and what that would mean for our liberty. The dawn of a new day became a source of inspiration as we anticipated better news from the courts the next time we would appear. Daily briefings to comrades and educational meetings assisted in building our morale and confidence.

These meetings were also used for organizing our logistics for food, soap and other supplies from outside through elected representative of the sectors present so that everybody was well catered for. Our spirits were temporarily dampened at some point when seventeen of us were transferred from remand prison to the Harare Central Prison.

There, we were meant to stay in a small room for 23 hours and spend 30 minutes in the morning out of the cell for exercises and 30 minutes in the afternoon for more exercises. It was only after a protest at the prison and the court that these conditions were changed.

Throughout the whole detention period, we felt a great sense of solidarity from all who visited and those who set messages. Newspaper reports on the support our dilemma was receiving globally were inspiring. Though we were classified as dangerous prisoners, we never felt that we were treated as such by our wardens in prison. There were, however, incidences when overzealous authorities would abuse our liberty but not without the resistance by the united comrades in prison. Inmates also sympathized with us and that made us feel our cause was noble.

Partial freedom

Today we have the partial freedom after our release on the tight bail conditions, but all hope is not lost for a victory at trial. Only miracles can manufacture treason from the evidence led so far. All the comrades going for trial are raring to meet the state on the day.

But our arrest was not in isolation from what has become the order of the day in Zimbabwe. In as much as it exposed the desperate nature, insecurity and the brutality of the regime, there are numerous sites of attacks on peoples freedom. Rampant show of muscle and brutality consistent with a resurgent dictatorship is what we see today.

Events in the last few months are testimony to this accession. One of the partners in the Global Political Agreement, GPA, MDC-T has had its leadership arraigned before courts and police custody in a clear show of power and portrayal of revived Zanu (PF) machinery.

The recent anarchy in parliament is another case to mention. Zanu (PF) has made arrogant manoeuvres to gain the speakers seat. MDC-T rallies have been literally banned and worse is expected, as pockets of violence increase in size and number in urban Harare and other rural parts of the country. Peaceful processes happening elsewhere as in Egypt, with all its limitation, should inspire progressive Zimbabweans to explore the variety of constitutional options to resolve the leadership legitimacy problems confronting the transition. – hopewell@zimcodd.co.zw