Columbus Mavhunga
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — A Zimbabwean opposition leader and nearly 100 youths who spent two nights in jail for allegedly holding an unsanctioned meeting appeared in court in Harare on Tuesday, where they complained of police assaults.
After their arrest Sunday, members of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change, or Triple C, arrived in court in apparent pain — some limping, and one with a broken leg — under heavy police guard.
That did not stop one man from shouting to waiting reporters.
“Are you hearing me?” he said. “The women were asked to kneel down and crawl to a waiting police truck by this government. Button sticks, claps hit us. One of the ladies had her room invaded. Why? She just had a bra on. Please record that. These people are cruel.”
Police officers accompanying the opposition members refused to comment.
Tinashe Chinopfukutwa, a lawyer representing Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told reporters that his clients had been abused upon arrest.
“The charges which have been preferred against them are of participating in a gathering with [the] intent to promote public violence, bigotry and breaches of peace,” Chinopfukutwa said. “They have also preferred an alternative charge of disorderly conduct in [a] public place. They were assaulted by the police at the time of their arrest. Some of them were forced into jumping into a dirty swimming pool, while putting on their clothes. They were then forced to crawl to a police vehicle which was parked several meters away. We are going to lay those complaints before the court.”
Chinopfukutwa said the police initially arrested about 100 opposition activists, together with their leader, Jameson Timba, but some were released for unspecified reasons.
Agency Gumbo, a lawyer and a member of parliament with Triple C, said party members had been arrested at Timba’s home Sunday while commemorating International Day of the African Child.
He said the arrests were meant to quell opposition’s activities, which started during the era of the late President Robert Mugabe’s nearly 40 years in power.
“What this entails is that the regime is hell-bent on stopping voices of dissent, the regime is hell-bent on stopping the opposition,” Gumbo said. “It’s as if the opposition is now a banned organization. It’s as if the Triple C and the entire opposition forces are banned in this country.”
VOA repeatedly contacted Zimbabwe’s information minister, Jenfan Muswere, for comment but did not receive a response.
However, on Monday he said that no one in the country was above the law, and anyone who commits an offense would meet the wrath of the law.
Meanwhile, the 79 still detained were placed in custody until Wednesday, when they are expected to challenge their arrests. They are arguing that they were detained for more than the 48 hours allowed by the constitution before they were brought to court on Tuesday.