Zimbabwe: Free Arbitrarily Detained Opposition Members

Several people who attended the CCC member’s court hearings were beaten by police and three were arrested for calling for the release of the group. The three were subsequently released on $100 USD bail each.
People face growing restrictions to the exercise of their human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association ahead of the Southern African Development Community’s Heads of State and Government Summit in Harare scheduled to take place on 17 August.

On 27 June, President Mnangagwa, while addressing the ZANU PF central committee, warned against ‘rogue elements in the form of opposition political parties bent on peddling falsehoods and instigating acts of civil disorder, especially before, during and after regional and world state events’ and said, ‘such acts would be dealt with decisively’. On 28 June, the information, publicity and broadcasting minister issued a statement warning against “criminal and opportunistic elements within the opposition, certain politicians, and some civil society organizations” and that law enforcement will apprehend those who ‘undermine the justice delivery through causing chaos and mayhem’.

On 29 June, the members of the National Democratic Working group were arrested at a private residence in Kuwadzana, Harare for holding an ‘unsanctioned’ meeting. The group was having regarding the monthly monetary contribution to assist vulnerable and disadvantaged families. On 3 July, police arrested another six people with the Community Voices Zimbabwe media organization in the town of Gokwe, in Zimbabwe’s midlands.