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SADC arrest of CSO representatives
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
May 23, 2011

ZimRights denounces the needless arrest and interrogation of civil society organisations representatives during the just ended SADC Extra-Ordinary Summit in Windhoek by unidentified Zimbabwean state security agents accompanied by some Namibian law enforcement agents.

The representatives are said to have attended two press conferences that were organized by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on the Zimbabwe election debate as well as another hosted by SADC-CNGO in collaboration with NANGOF Trust. In both conferences, they shared their position, in which they cited that Zimbabwe is not ready for elections until a clear road map to free, fair and peaceful elections is laid out.

Some of the civil society leaders who were targeted include NANGO Chairperson Dadirai Chikwengo, Director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Irene Petras, Crisis Coordinator McDonald Lewanika and officials Pedzisayi Ruhanya, Dewa Mavhinga and others from the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network. They are said to have also been targeted for distributing material with CSOs' key demands for a conducive election environment which the agents deemed as inappropriate and offensive.

Jelousy Mawarire was also detained for allegedly capturing pictures while Shastry Njeru of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum was chased away from the venue of the SADC Summit. Mawarire, who had pictures deleted from his camera, was later released.

Irene Petras, Joy Mabhenge of IDAZIM, Lloyd Kuveya of Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Makanatsa Makonese of SADC Lawyers Association who were having a meeting at the hotel also fell victim to the security agents. The three were force marched into the hotel parking area by armed Namibia Police officers while the Zimbabwean security agents watched.

The CSO representatives were interrogated by the state security agents for more than one hour and the questions centered around their personal details, their mission in Namibia, their place of residence in Namibia and their residential address in Zimbabwe, while officials from the Zimbabwean embassy were observing.

ZimRights strongly condemns this unbecoming behaviour shown by the state security agents. This is a clear violation of Civil Society's right to voice out on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe, particularly on the key issue of elections. While politicians may claim to be ready, it is more important that the electorate is ready for the election and will no be subjected to a recurrence of the 2008 intimidation and violence.

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