CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi yesterday welcomed the release of party members and other pro-democracy activists.
“Something needs to be done to transform and restore
confidence and credibility in Zimbabwe’s judicial system and other key
institutions of government that are captured and being abused and exploited by
the regime,” he said.
“We condemn the needless prolongation of Timba and others’
detention on flimsy and frivolous grounds.
“We cannot continue to have court judgments that are
churned out and dictated from the Shake Shake [Zanu PF] building.”
The release of the activists comes barely a month after
Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said there was no reason to
continue detaining the activists after the summit, which saw President Emmerson
Mnangagwa assuming chairmanship of the regional bloc.
“It was essential to ensure that nothing detracted from the
summit’s importance. Zimbabwe needed to present itself as a stable and secure
nation to our Sadc partners,” he said.
“So if you are a deviate, you are going to be dealt with in
the right way, which is to put you in jail so that you don’t create a sideshow
which takes the attention away from the event.”
Information minister Jenfan Muswere later issued a
statement distancing government and Zanu PF from the arrest of the activists,
but observers said Mutsvangwa had already let the cat out of the bag.
Observers, pro-democracy groups and the opposition said
Mutsvangwa’s statement betrayed the abuse of State power and weaponisation of
the law against critics by the ruling party.
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