NELSON Chamisa’s MDC party has raised alarm over the
“arbitrary” arrest of its activists and top leadership in the past few days,
with the latest being national organising secretary Amos Chibaya who was
detained by the police yesterday on a charge of failing to stop last Friday’s
protests in Harare.
In a statement last night, party deputy spokesperson Luke
Tamborinyoka described the arrests as a clampdown on citizens’ rights.
“Chibaya was the convener of the MDC’s proposed peaceful
demonstrations in four cities that were later foiled by the police after they
issued four prohibition orders to stop citizens in the respective cities from
exercising their democratic rights as enshrined in the supreme law of the
land,” he said.
“Upon hearing that the police were looking for him, Chibaya
handed himself at Harare Central Police Station at around 4pm yesterday in the
company of his lawyer, Obey Shava. Hon Chibaya, who is still with his lawyer,
is still being quizzed by the police.”
Added Tamborinyoka: “Hon Chibaya is currently on bail on
yet another trumped-up charge of subversion emanating from the January 2019
disturbances and for which he has been slapped with reporting conditions.”
The MDC further indicated that the arrest of Chibaya was
testimony that Zimbabwe had now turned into a pariah State.
“His arrest is testimony of the closure of democratic space
in Zimbabwe. In fact, the country is under a de facto state of emergency,
judging by the abductions, torture and arrests of innocent Zimbabweans in the
past few days,” Tamborinyoka added.
Police confirmed the arrest, saying Chibaya was in custody
after failing to rein in demonstrators following the police ban.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi
confirmed Chibaya’s arrest.
“Yes, he has been arrested for contravention of sections of
POSA (Public Order and Security Act) that after the demonstration was
prohibited by the responsible authority and confirmed by the court, he failed
to deal with the
demonstrators,” he said.
Dozens of MDC activists have been arrested since last week
as police foiled the opposition protests planned in Harare.
The party had lined up similar protests in Bulawayo,
Masvingo, Mutare and Gweru before police moved in and issued prohibition
orders. Newsday
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