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Zimbabwe
activists allege beatings, torture during visit by S. Africa's Mbeki
Blessing Zulu, Voice of America (VOA)
November 23, 2007
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2007-11-23-voa40.cfm
Leaders of Zimbabwe's
National
Constitutional Assembly, an advocacy group, said 22 members
who protested in Harare on Thursday were beaten by security forces
even as South African President Thabo Mbeki visited to press a crisis
solution.
On his one-day visit
to Harare, Mr Mbeki met with President Robert Mugabe, senior officials
of the ruling ZANU-PF party and both factions of the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change for top-level consultations on the
crisis negotiations he has been mediating since March on behalf
of the Southern African Development Community
MDC officials told Mr.
Mbeki they believe ZANU-PF is merely giving lip service to the need
for democratic reform, and accused Mr. Mugabe of launching a further
violent crackdown on critics. Mr. Mugabe accused the opposition
of political gimmickry.
But NCA officials maintain
that even as Mr Mugabe was denying that his government employed
violence against opponents, agents of his Central Intelligence Organization
and ZANU-PF youth militia were beating and torturing NCA demonstrators.
The civic group said
activists were seized by alleged security agents and youth militia
after demonstrating in Harare along Mr. Mbeki's travel route
to express opposition to a constitutional amendment agreed by parties
to the talks and passed by parliament.
The NCA said its members
were taken to the ruling party's headquarters for Harare Province
and severely beaten before being handed over to the police. The
activists were released at midnight and 11 were hospitalized, the
organization said.
NCA activist Tendai Nyamaropa
told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that
he and others were beaten and subjected to torture.
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