The ten who include the Youth Forum board chairperson and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) spokesperson Madock Chivasa, were arrested on March 28 at Bikita business centre by about 30 riot police officers ostensibly for playing an anti-dictatorship song in their vehicle which the officers argued, undermined the office of the president, in reference to Robert Mugabe. They were later charged with undermining police authority as defined in the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and spent four days in police detention before their lawyer successfully intervened to have them brought to court on medical grounds. This was because some of those in detention had sustained serious injuries after the police had set a vicious dog on them.
The Youth Forum members were arrested while on a Youth Go Vote campaign’ that sought to encourage youths especially in the rural areas to go and vote in a peaceful manner on March 29. This saw the distribution of various material including t-shirts, CD’s, pamphlets, fliers and political party manifestos that meant to help the electorate to vote from an informed position. The ten members who also include Farirai Mageza, Hillary Zhou, Michael Chemvume and Simbai Chivasa will now be required to attend court on 29 August at which date their trial is scheduled to start.
Meanwhile the Youth Forum views the coup on Zimbabweans by Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF as an unprecedented attack on democracy and a real shame to the country. The Youth Forum does not recognise such a rebel regime which is bent on propagating thuggery, anarchy and does not have the slightest respect for the rule of law. That a few individuals can negate the will of the people of Zimbabwe as expressed on March 29 smacks of gross disregard of the wishes and aspirations of the people. The Youth Forum would like to urge all youths to rally behind a truly people-centred movement as represented by Morgan Tsvangirai. The legitimate election of March 29 saw the MDC assuming parliamentary majority for the first time and thus they should be accorded the chance to form a government, that is truly representative of the wishes of the majority of Zimbabwe. Whatever Zanu PF may try now to hang onto power will not stop the tide of democracy sweeping them away as they have lost all moral legitimacy to govern. Â