Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

Youth Forum members trial date set
Zimbabwe Youth Forum
April 29, 2008

The trial of the ten Youth Forum members who were arrested on the eve of the March 29 elections in Bikita has been set for 30 June 2008. The ten who appeared in court this morning were told to return to the Bikita Magistrate's Court on Monday 30 June when their case is set to be heard. They are being charged with undermining police authority as defined under section 177 of the notorious Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The ten who include the Youth Forum Board Chair and NCA spokesperson Madock Chivasa were arrested on the 28th of March 2008 at Bikita Business Center by more than 30 armed riot police while distributing voter education material in the Youth Forum's Go Vote Campaign. They subsequently spent four days in police cells and were prejudiced of their right to vote. The police set a vicious dog on some of those arrested resulting in three of them sustaining serious injuries after being mauled by the dog. After being arrested the ten were subjected to heavy beatings by baton sticks under their feet and on their buttocks by the police inside their cells. All this was sanctioned by the police superiors at Bikita Police station particularly Chief Superintendent Matapura who had called for reinforcements from the Law and Order section in Masvingo. Despite the fact that a lot of those arrested were bleeding, they were denied medical attention during the time that they were detained. As if that was not enough the police watered the cell which the ten members occupied for the four days they were detained. It had to take the intervention of Masvingo lawyer Rodney Makausi of Chihambakwe, Makonese and Ncube legal practitioners to have the members released purely on medical grounds with the state strongly opposing the release of the ten.

Youth Forum noted at the time that this was a calculated move meant to disenfranchise perceived opposition supporters their right to vote. It is sad to note that exactly a month after the harmonized polls, there is still no sign of the presidential poll results. It has become apparently clear that the ZANU PF presidential candidate Robert Mugabe lost the election despite concerted efforts to manipulate the electoral process in his favour. He has now imposed his rule on Zimbabweans through the army in a clear coup de tat against the people's chosen political leadership. What is more disturbing is the retribution that ZANU PF is waging on innocent civilians on the pretext that they voted for the opposition. What Mugabe and ZANU PF do not realize is that the will of the people can never be subverted forever and time is running out for them. They cannot sustain their rule against the will of the people. The Youth Forum further urges the people of Zimbabwe not to lose hope in the face of such acrimonious times. History has always shown us that no dictatorship no matter how brutal can sustain its rule for long.

Youth Forum Information And Publicity
+263 23 353 291, +263 913 022 368
www.youthforum.org.zw

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