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ZANU PF has deployed its youth militia, soldiers and state security agents in rural areas across the country to disrupt the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T)’s constitution-making outreach programmes, the party has said.
This development could further widen fissures in the shaky one-year-old coalition government already in a crisis over Zanu PF’s reluctance to fully implement the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The accusation by MDC-T follows a series of arrests of its activists involved in the party’s outreach programme designed to mobilise its supporters to freely participate in a “people-driven” constitution-making process.
The party said the arrests were a strategy to delay a new constitution and elections scheduled for next year.
MDC-T last week wrote to the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic), an inter-party committee meant to ensure that three coalition partners adhere to the GPA, complaining about the “wanton” arrests and harassment of its outreach teams.
In the letter, party secretary for legal and parliamentary affairs Innocent Gonese said the arrests contravene the GPA signed by Zanu and the two MDC formations in September 2008.
“We therefore seek your intervention to ensure that the police are conversant with their duties and responsibilities and that all political parties are able to carry out their bona fide activities without undue interference and harassment by our law enforcement agencies,” Gonese said.
The letter was copied to the ministries of Home Affairs and Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs as well as the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee and Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri.
Jomic communications manager Joram Nyathi confirmed receiving the letter.
“Yes, we have received the letter.
“However, our message has been strong from the start that people should have free political activity but in cases where they need to inform the police, they have to do so because Posa (Public Order and Security Act) is still there.”
He said Jomic will investigate claims by the MDC-T.
The MDC-T is mobilising for a “people-driven” constitution while Zanu PF wants the adoption of the Kariba Draft, a document prepared three years ago in the resort town.
Gonese said two weeks ago at least 52 MDC-T members were arrested in Mt Darwin, Mashonaland Central, when police broke up a meeting to discuss the party’s position on the constitution.
The MDC-T said the police impounded the party position papers on the constitution-making process and about 500 copies of MDC-T’s The Changing Times newsletter.
A week earlier, MP for Tafara-Mabvuku Shepherd Madamombe (MDC-T) was arrested and questioned by police for holding a meeting without police clearance.
He was later released.
Civil society organisations have also not been spared in the latest onslaught.
At least 22 members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) were arrested while holding a strategic meeting on the constitutional reform process in Bulawayo last week.
The police later released the women without laying any charges but confiscated materials on the constitution-making process.
In its latest report ZZZICOMP, an independent constitution-monitoring project comprising three civic groups, confirmed at least eight cases of assault and torture perpetrated against MDC-T supporters by suspected state agents and Zanu PF supporters in Mashonaland East, Central and Harare.
Cases of harassment have also been reported in Matabeleland North, Chitungwiza, Mashonaland West, the Midlands, Masvingo and Chimanimani.
MDC-T said Zanu PF militia and soldiers were forcing villagers to attend political meetings where they are instructed to support the Kariba Draft.
The MDC-T said Zanu PF had already launched its own parallel processes country-wide without any hindrance.
“What is of further concern is that we do not hear of similar arrests of members of Zanu PF and yet they are holding similar meetings and this clearly shows that there is still selective application of the law,” Gonese said.
MDC-T deputy national organising secretary Morgan Komichi said the arrests showed that the security agents were still being manipulated by Zanu PF despite the formation of the unity government.
“This is all Zanu PF’s thuggish strategy to stop us from mobilising for the new constitution,” Komichi said.
“This is a violation of the GPA and Sadc must make sure that this constitution-making process is done in good faith.”
The Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) said the atmosphere under which the constitution-making process was talking place was not conducive.
“The environment in which the constitution-making process is expected to take place is proving not to be conducive since some politicians are now using terror and violence to endorse the Kariba Draft,” said Zinasu secretary for legal and social welfare, Aleck Tabe.
Despite accusations levelled against them, the police have asked for at least US$2,9 million for officers who will accompany outreach teams.
At least 1 000 officers would be deployed.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena last week said he was still to verify if MDC-T’s accusations were true.
But Zanu PF denied ever manipulating the police and vowed to intensify its outreach programmes.
Party deputy spokesperson Ephraim Masawi said the intensification of the outreach programme was in line with the party’s position taken at a recent politburo meeting.
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
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