SW Radio Africa (London)
Tererai Karimakwenda
12 May 2008
We received a report that the MDC MP for Mutasa Central, Trevor Saruwaka, was arrested Sunday morning at Penhalonga Police Station. He had gone there looking for one of the MDC Youth members who had been abducted and detained by war veterans.
According to Pishai Muchauraya, the Tsvangirai MDC spokesperson for Manicaland, a group of CIOs arrived at the station while Saruwaka was talking to the officer in charge, Assistant Inspector Goronga. They asked why the MDC members were inside the police station. Goronga identified Trevor Saruwaka as the MP for the area. The CIO's instructed him to immediately arrest this elected official and detain him, claiming he was inciting violence in Mutasa Central.
This is similar to countless other reports we have received where the victims are arrested when they approach the police to file a complaint or report an incident. The innocent get arrested.
Muchauraya said the arrest follows an incident last week when MDC supporters were attacked by ZANU-PF supporters and war veterans at Mutasa and Watsomba. The MDC youths and villagers tried to defend themselves.
The MDC retaliation came after police failed on a number of occasions to take any action after being told of the violence perpetuated by ZANU-PF supporters and war veterans. Other MDC supporters who went to Penhalonga Police Station to make such reports were threatened with arrest and chased away.
Muchauraya said the arrest of MP Saruwaka did not come as a surprise to the party. He added: "It is ZANU-PF's agenda to try and frustrate the MDC leadership ahead of a possible run-off, whose date they are reluctant to announce for fear of defeat and further embarrassment."
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