|
Back to Index
This article participates on the following special index pages:
Strikes and Protests 2007/8 - Index of articles
Statement
on the disruption of MDC'S court sanctioned demonstration
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
January
23, 2008
The National Constitutional
Assembly is disturbed by spate of violence which the ruling Zanu
PF continues to demonstrate in the country regardless of the ongoing
mediations.
As the NCA we are worried by the attacks on the opposition Movement
for Democratic Change after they staged a legalized demonstration
in Harare today.
It is worrying that some state apparatus are failing to respect
the rule of law and eventually bringing to question the issues of
powers between the judiciary and the executive.
The NCA is urgently calling for the release of the opposition MDC
organizing secretary Elias Mudzuri who was picked up in bid to stop
the demonstration.
By this time Mudzuri was still under police's heavy hand and is
suspected of being under detention somewhere in one of Harare's
police station.
Today the NCA witnessed the heavy handedness of the police which
was visible with riot police brutalizing and tear-gassing the demonstrators
and other civilians doing their business in town.
The running battles lasted for an hour and eventually a group of
demonstrators were surrounded by the police and it is not yet clear
as to what happened to these people, they were 300 of them.
The NCA also witnessed the arrest of Chamisa (MDC Spokesperson)
who was briefly taken from the procession but was later released
after the youths demanded his release.
As the NCA we are worried by the fact that the police defied the
court ruling which gave the opposition MDC a go-ahead to proceed
with the demonstration.
The NCA castigates the Zimbabwe Republic Police for their partisanship
in the discharge of duties and is calling for an immediate halt
of such unorthodox ways of discharging their duties.
The NCA is also calling for the Police Commissioner to be brought
to question for ordering his police force to defy court orders.
Visit the NCA
fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
