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CCDZ and IYWD staff arbitrarily detained in Mashonaland Central, campaign materials confiscated
Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
May 26, 2011

CCDZ staff members Vellim Nyama and Tsungai Vere, along with the Director of the Institute for Young Women Development, Glanis Changachirere were detained at Nzvimbo Growth Point in Mashonaland Central on Friday, 24 May 2011. The trio was due to address a meeting on the coming Constitutional referendum and elections as well as service delivery. In their company was Mazowe Councillor Tawanda Mbisva (MDC-T) who was also going to interface with residents at the meeting.

Police insisted on searching the vehicle as well as jacket pockets and handbags. Upon discovering copies of the current edition of "Thinking Beyond" and other campaign materials, police began to interrogate CCDZ on why they were in the area and what right they have to conduct meetings without the knowledge of the District Administrator's Office. Copies of "Thinking Beyond" were also confiscated and circulated among the police officers.

Police took the personal and contact details of the three activists and demanded to have the community mobiliser on the ground in Nzvimbo to be brought to them to answer charges as to why the community meeting was being held at a private homestead and no police clearance being sought. Police then proceeded to detain Tsungai Vere, CCDZ Programmes Officer whilst the other three were released to proceed to the venue of the meeting at Nzvimbo to disperse the meeting and bring back the community mobiliser.

Upon their return, police warned CCDZ not to conduct meetings without their prior knowledge and told them no charges would be laid as no meeting had been conducted. All four activists were released after a pointless, time-wasting detention and delay of law-abiding human rights defenders. CCDZ takes this opportunity to denounce the unconstitutional violation of random and unjustifiable searches of vehicles and persons. This violates all personal bodily integrity and criminalizes individuals for no justifiable reason apart from a high-handed abuse and display of police power.

CCDZ will continue to stand for the rights of citizens and will continue with the outreach to provide a platform for Zimbabweans to air their views on critical national governance issues such as the Constitutional referendum and the planned elections.

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