POLICE in and around Harare have been preventing public transporters getting into the city centre and searching commuters as the crackdown on dissent intensified ahead of today’s Sadc Heads of State and Government Summit.
This comes as an official curfew seems to have kicked-in in the capital.
Adding onto the latest incidents is the arrest of 13 opposition and pro-democracy activists yesterday.
At a roadblock along Domboshava Road, police on Wednesday and Thursday were searching commuters going to the city centre, particularly those using commuter omnibuses and conventional buses.
“On Wednesday, we were stopped and searched. We spent about an hour,” a Domboshava resident rold NewsDay Weekender.
“One of the police officers found a drill gun in my bag and he thought it was a gun. He only let me go to back the bus after making sure and checking with his colleagues if, indeed, it was a drill gun.”
On Thursday, NewsDay Weekender witnessed some commuters being asked to disembark and stand in a line, waiting to be searched.
On Wednesday night, workers from a popular fast-food outlet reported being threatened by the police for moving around in town after 9pm.
“(We were) threatened by police while closing doors at (name of shop supplied). They asked us what we were still doing in town after 9pm,” one employee texted in their workers’ WhatsApp group.
“People are being chased around in town,” another texted.
“We were chased after by the police. They did not care that we were in our uniforms. Now there is no transport, all commuter omnibuses have been chased out of town. Be careful guys,” a third employee posted.
“Along Julius Nyerere (Way), people are being beaten up. They are being ordered to board any form of transport they see and vacate town. Be very careful for those who are still in town.”
Yesterday, presidential spokesperson George Charamba denied there being a curfew.
“No curfew in Harare or any part of the country. The problem of people who grew up after the liberation war is not knowing what a curfew is. When the curfew is in place, you will not need your foreign friends to tell you. And after all, you won’t even say a thing. You will be silenced to an extent where you feel that the curfew is indeed operational. Don’t wish bad things. We can make you taste just a bit of it,” Charamba posted on his @dhonzamusoro007 handle on X (formerly Twitter).
On the stop and search, a top police officer said: “That’s the discretion of the police officers who will be on the ground. They are only told to conduct patrols.”
Lately, a huge convoy of manouvre combat tankers, police outriders, anti-riot police details and water cannons has been patrolling most high-density residential suburbs.
Yesterday, police arrested former Citizens Coalition for Change political party legislator Costa Machingauta in Harare and 11 others in Gokwe, the Midlands province.
In a statement, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said Machingauta, a former Budiriro MP, was forcibly taken from his home at night by unidentified men.
“In Harare, some unidentified people on Thursday August 15, 2024 raided the residence of Hon Costa Machingauta, a former opposition Citizens Coalition for Change political party legislator, during the night and forcibly took him and held him incommunicado after roughing up his minor children,” the rights lawyers said.
“Lawyers from ZLHR later located Hon Machingauta at Harare Central Police Station, where Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers charged him with public violence.”
The rights lawyers added that the activists arrested in Gokwe were accused of demonstrating against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“In Gokwe, in the Midlands province, ZRP officers arrested 12 people, who they accused of having participated in an anti-government demonstration, where they allegedly denounced President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his administration, including his assumption of the position of Sadc chairperson at a meeting of the regional bloc’s leaders scheduled to be held in Harare,” the statement read.
The Gokwe villagers, who are represented by ZLHR, were identified as Enios Siacheya, Mike Gibson, Manka Ncube, Tendai Dube, Rosemary Mangwaira, Mary Siankumbile, Queen Sianjama, Egnes Siabwela, Dickson Mbelele and Beauty Chuma.
Meanwhile, civic society organisation leaders who were arrested two weeks ago on charges of disorderly conduct were yesterday denied bail by Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo on grounds that they may repeat the same offence considering that what they want to protest against is yet to be achieved.
Namatai Kwekweza, Samuel Gwenzi and Robson Chere were represented by Charles Kwaramba, Jeremiah Bamu and Tinashe Chinopfukutwa.
In her ruling, Moyo said the seriousness of the offence had to be considered as a factor in denying them bail.
The court ruled that if the accused persons are released on bail, they would team up with other accomplices who escaped arrest and commit similar offence.
She said through the evidence of the witness the civic society activists were nowhere to be found at Harare Magistrates Court and were only apprehended at the airport.
It is the State’s case that on June 26 at the court, the accused persons chanted CCC slogans after opposition politician Jameson Timba and 78 others had been denied bail.
The court heard that the accused persons were ordered to disperse by the police, but resisted.
The matter was deferred to August 26 pending finalisation of investigations.
Anesu Chirenje represented the State.