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44 students detained as wave Of Political Repression In Zim

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Mnangagwa Fears Summit Protests

Ahead of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit in Harare next month, the Zimbabwean government is cracking down on any meetings by a group of people and dissent as it fears protests in front of regional leaders.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has heavily invested on the Sadc which is crucial for political legitimacy in view of his the rejection of last year’s flawed general elections by the Sadc election observer mission.

Government is building roads, villas, refurbishing hotels and buying buses for the summit. Today, police violently disrupted a Zimbabwe National Students Union General Council meeting to discuss their own affairs at 10am at Zesa National Training Centre in Harare.

Most of the 60 students who were attending the meeting were brutally assaulted, while some were arrested and taken to Harare Central Police Station.

This was in brazen violation of the students’ constitutional rights of freedom assembly, association and expression.

Of late, there has been a wave of arbitrary arrests, detentions and harassment by police ad theh clampdown on discontent.

Former minister and MP Jameson Timba and the Avondale 78 were arrested for merely gathering for a braai in Avondale, Harare, on 16 June commemorating South Africa’s Soweto Uprising (Youth Day).

Opposition leader Job Sikhala was released on 30 January after 595 days in prison for doing absolutely nothing wrong.

He was charged with inciting public violence and convicted by a magistrate’s court.

However, the High Court dismissed the conviction on Monday.

The court also acquitted Sikhala on a spurious conviction of communicating false statements prejudicial to the state under a law which does not exist anymore.

The rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are severely restricted, particularly during the election period, but in this case ahead of the Sadc summit.

Opposition members, or those associated with the opposition, always bear the brunt of the widescale authoritarian repression of dissent, including arbitrary detention and prosecution.

Recent legislation, the “Patriotic Act”, which is an amendment of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, impose further restrictions and harsh penalties against activists and critics.

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