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Zimbabwe: Lawyers, Journalists And Trade Unionists Targeted in Crackdown
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SW Radio Africa (London)
8 May 2008
Posted to the web 8 May 2008
Lance Guma
One of the country's top lawyers, Harrison Nkomo, was arrested by police on Wednesday for allegedly insulting Robert Mugabe.
Nkomo who was representing arrested freelance journalist Frank Chikowore at the High Court, is alleged to have told Michael Mugabe, a law officer in the Attorney General's office, to 'go and tell your father that he must vacate office because he has failed.'
Beatrice Mtetwa is representing Nkomo and has confirmed her client is being charged under a section of the Criminal Law Act, dealing with undermining or insulting the authority of the president. In February 2006 government tightened the so-called 'insult laws' by imposing a Z$2 million fine or one-year imprisonment for those convicted of the 'offence'. Although Nkomo was meant to appear in court on Thursday he was admitted to hospital after his blood pressure shot up to dangerous levels.
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On Thursday the editor of the weekly Standard newspaper, Davison Maruziva, was picked up by police for questioning after his newspaper published an article written by Arthur Mutambara, who heads a faction of the MDC. The article was published on the 20th April under the headline, 'A shameful betrayal of national independence.' Deputy Editor Bill Saidi told the Media Institute of Southern Africa that two policeman from the Law and Order Section had picked up Maruziva from his office early in the morning. Rafael Khumalo, the paper's Chief Executive, accompanied him to the police station.
On Monday Reuter's photographer, Howard Burditt was arrested for allegedly using a satellite phone to file pictures of the aftermath of the March 29 elections. The agency issued a statement saying, 'as part of its pan-African news operations, Reuters has long had a legitimate and fully accredited bureau in Harare, and has always complied with Zimbabwean regulations with the aim of accurately reporting the news.' Police claim satellite phones must be registered. Burditt was released on bail Thursday.
Meanwhile the two top leaders from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions were on Thursday detained at Harare Central police station. President Lovemore Matombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibhebhe were accompanied to the station by their lawyers after being informed police were looking for them. Heavily armed police are said to have visited their homes on Tuesday but found no one there. Matombo and Chibhebhe had gone to the police station on Wednesday, only to be told the officer responsible for the case was not around. On Thursday they were charged with 'inciting people to rise against the government and reporting falsehoods about people being killed." At the time of broadcast they were still in detention.
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