Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party supporters protest in front of police after the party was banned from hosting an election campaign rally in Marondera, Zimbabwe, March 12, 2022. © 2022 JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images
The CSOs employees drawn from Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
and Election Resource Centre (ERC) were rounded up around 9: PM on 23
August 2023 and detained at locations, which their lawyers from
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have not ascertained as they
are being denied access to their clients by Zimbabwe Republic Police
officers.
Fears were abound that the more time elapses without their lawyers
Alec Muchadehama, Kossam Ncube and Jeremiah Bamu of ZLHR not having
access to their clients, this may turn out to be an enforced
disappearance as provisions of section 50 of the Constitution places
an obligation of law enforcement agents particularly the Police
Service to respect the rights of arrested and detained persons.
Muchadehama, Bamu and Ncube are concerned that their clients are being
illegally detained as law enforcement agents should first conduct
investigations and effect any arrests after establishing a reasonable
suspicion that an offence has been committed.
The human rights lawyers were also apprehensive that none of their
clients have been permitted to contact their legal practitioners,
spouse, partner or relative as provided in section 50(1)(b)(i)(ii) of
the Constitution and also for them to be given food, medication and
other amenities and to be treated with dignity.