MDC Midlands provincial youth chairperson Sekai Marashe and
five party activists were brought to court yesterday following their Saturday
arrest for leading a flash protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa in
Kwekwe.
Marashe, Kwekwe ward 5 councillor Melody Chingarande, ward
12 councillor Washington Moyo, Learnmore Musemwa and Tinashe Mushosho — were
released on $1 000 bail each while their co-accused Lovemore Savanhu was
granted $1 500 bail.
The youths were picked up after they marched around Mbizo 4
Business Centre waving placards calling on Mnangagwa to step down over his
alleged mismanagement of the economy.
Ad by Valueimpression
MDC national youth leader Obey Sithole accused government
of stifling the opposition party’s activities.
“The State is evidently in panic mode and has since
resorted to arbitrary arrests as an attempt to silence all voices of reason in
the context of gross unreasonableness being perpetuated by Mnangagwa and the
illegitimacy that he represents. The arrests of our party youth leadership is a
clear testimony that the government is running scared of its own people and I
would want to warn the same to abstain from cowardice,” he said.
“We will not take these arrests lightly, if anything we
have gathered more strength to genuinely organise ourselves in the interest of
establishing a people’s government that is respectful of the people’s freedoms
and rights. I implore the government to arrest the COVID-19 and not innocent
people. The arrested leaders are not criminals in any way or close to be
criminals.”
Searchmore Muringani, the MDC deputy Midlands provincial
spokesperson also bemoaned the developments.
“The MDC youths simply exercised their right to demonstrate
as enshrined in section 59 of the Constitution. It is surprising that the
so-called new dispensation continues to perpetuate old habits of persecution.
The police say they will appear in court soon, but we are not sure when.”
Midlands police spokesperson Joel Goko said he was away in
Bulawayo on official assignment and was yet to get a briefing on the arrests.
Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment