SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
17 November 2008
As Zimbabwe's political future remains in the balance, and as fears of a renewed ZANU PF clampdown grow, the MDC has expressed great concern for the lives of 12 activists who have been missing for more than two weeks.
The activists were arrested during early morning raids at their homes in Banket more than two weeks ago and have not been heard from since; this despite an urgent High Court order filed last Tuesday demanding the abducted people be brought to court. Opposition activists have said ZANU PF is returning to its 'default language of violence,' saying they are now being attacked randomly. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa on Monday said the party 'fears for their [the missing activists] lives' and expressed concern that ZANU PF is trying to "implicate us in some kind of larger strategic game plan."
Meanwhile, nine members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) are still being held in prison after being charged with public violence in a Mutare court on Monday morning. Although NCA staff have posted bail for the group, they are set to remain in Mutare Remand Prison until their assigned court date next month.
The group that was charged on Monday was arrested last Friday, after they participated in a peaceful demonstration in Harare last week. The NCA's Madock Chivasa explained on Monday that the group were arrested 'long after the protests were underway' and added the arrests were merely part of a 'witch hunt' against the NCA. More than 20 other NCA members who were arrested during the demonstration have since been released, including a three months pregnant 25 year old, who had a miscarriage after brutal beatings by the police.
Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, NCA Youth Chairperson for Manicaland, Manex Mauya, was arrested at his home in Mutare and remains in police custody at Mutare Central Police Station.
Despite the obvious ongoing attack on the NCA, the group said on Monday it was making plans for more demonstrations after what it called 'successful' action last week. A new round of city wide protests were set to go ahead on Tuesday, but the NCA has postponed the action after various organisations "expressed interest in joining the NCA in actions aimed at encouraging democratic reform." The NCA said in a statement on Monday that it has decided to postpone the planned demonstrations in order to consult with its partners in civil society.
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Zimbabweans this is the right step you are about to take by confronting the monster yourself.Don't rely on useless SADC and the international community to boot out ZANU-PF out of power.Definitely the dishonest SADC leaders will be aware of the disappearance of opposition activists but careless about the people and all they are good at is the outdated comeradeship of the liberation wars.I pray the people power will work this time as you did with the Ian Smith regime.Mugabe is your new Ian Smith so kick him out as the French did during thier revolution.LET THEM EAT CAKE.Good Luck.