MDC Midlands provincial youth chairperson Sekai Marashe and five party activists were brought to court yesterday following their Saturday arrest for leading a flash protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Kwekwe.
BY BRENNA MATENDERE
Marashe, Kwekwe ward 5 councillor Melody Chingarande, ward 12 councillor Washington Moyo, Learnmore Musemwa and Tinashe Mushosho — were released on $1 000 bail each while their co-accused Lovemore Savanhu was granted $1 500 bail.
The youths were picked up after they marched around Mbizo 4 Business Centre waving placards calling on Mnangagwa to step down over his alleged mismanagement of the economy.
MDC national youth leader Obey Sithole accused government of stifling the opposition party’s activities. “The State is evidently in panic mode and has since resorted to arbitrary arrests as an attempt to silence all voices of reason in the context of gross unreasonableness being perpetuated by Mnangagwa and the illegitimacy that he represents. The arrests of our party youth leadership is a clear testimony that the government is running scared of its own people and I would want to warn the same to abstain from cowardice,” he said.
“We will not take these arrests lightly, if anything we have gathered more strength to genuinely organise ourselves in the interest of establishing a people’s government that is respectful of the people’s freedoms and rights. I implore the government to arrest the COVID-19 and not innocent people. The arrested leaders are not criminals in any way or close to be criminals.”
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Searchmore Muringani, the MDC deputy Midlands provincial spokesperson also bemoaned the developments.
“The MDC youths simply exercised their right to demonstrate as enshrined in section 59 of the Constitution. It is surprising that the so-called new dispensation continues to perpetuate old habits of persecution. The police say they will appear in court soon, but we are not sure when.”
Midlands police spokesperson Joel Goko said he was away in Bulawayo on official assignment and was yet to get a briefing on the arrests.