MDC-T appeals to Jomic over arrests

Comment & Analysis
BY NQOBANI NDLOVUPRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has launched a complaint with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) against police brutality and unlawful interference in its political activities.

 

This follows the arrest of 50 MDC-T youths ahead of the launch of the “Free Solomon Madzore Campaign” in Bulawayo a fortnight ago. Madzore, who is the chairperson of MDC-T youth assembly, has been languishing at Chikurubi Maximum Prison together with seven other party members after they were arrested in October last year on allegations of killing a police officer, Petros Mutedza, in Glen View.

 

Police last week sealed all roads leading into Bulawayo’s central business district (CBD) from high- density suburbs, searching all vehicles before arresting hordes of MDC-T supporters who were getting into town for the peaceful protest.

The party has called on Jomic to act on what they referred to as police’s “unbecoming behaviour”. “We do trust that your organ will treat this matter with the seriousness and urgency it deserves and ultimately bring this long running madness to an end,” said MDC-T youth assembly chairman for Bulawayo, Bekithemba Nyathi, in the letter of complaint.

“We condemn in the strongest terms, criminal activity by members of the uniformed police and demand that such criminal elements be brought to book.“Further, we condemn police disrespect for the courts, for there is in existence a court order issued by the Bulawayo High Court in 2011, barring the police from interfering with our lawful political activities in our Bulawayo offices.”

Efforts to get a comment from Jomic spokesperson Joram Nyathi were fruitless yesterday. Jomic, established under the Global Political Agreement (GPA), receives reports and complaints in respect of any issue related to the implementation, enforcement and execution of the agreement.

It also serves as a catalyst in creating and promoting an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding between the parties. The committee is co-chaired by representatives from Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC.