FORMER Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Bulawayo senator Gideon Shoko has been arrested by Criminal Investigations Department Law and Order detectives in Bulawayo, over yet-to-be confirmed charges.
Shoko's arrest comes at a time when the government has started a crackdown on human rights defenders and dissent ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit set for Harare this month.
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkhwananzi confirmed Shoko's arrest.
He said it was the State's way of suffocating local opposition by targeting anyone directly linked to former CCC president Nelson Chamisa.
“Government has suspended the bill of rights without the due support of parliament. (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa must declare that he has suspended the constitution,” he said.
Mkhwananzi said there are other arrests of a similar nature currently taking place across the country.
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However, Bulawayo Police spokesperson, Inspector Abednigo Ncube, professed ignorance of the arrest.
“I am not aware of the matter yet,” he said.
Details of the charges against Shoko are yet-to-be obtained.
Shoko is one of the senators who were recalled by CCC self-styled interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu.