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Matebeleland North police block ZimRights meeting
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
September 03, 2012

Police in Matebeland North halted a ZimRights meeting which was supposed to be held in Sipepa on Thursday the 4th September.

Police Chief Superintendent for the region, Mr Govo could not clear the meeting citing lack of a free venue as a reason. This happened despite the organisation having secured the same already. Mr Govo is reported to have said that the venue that Zimbabwe Human Rights Association intended to use had already been taken for use by another group. He could not disclose the entity whom he claimed had already booked the venue. Making it conspicuously controversial was the fact that ZimRights officials had in their possession, the evidence pointing to the effect that ZimRights had rightfully secured the venue and the place would not be occupied during the planned time.

It is also worth noting that Mr Govo was amongst the police force that arrested the Bulawayo ZimRights team last year over an almost similar issue hence one cannot rule out possibilities of foul play.

This Tuesday meeting was scheduled on request by the Sipepa community on domestic and gender based violence awareness. This followed a recent sharp increase in cases of domestic violence within the community.

ZimRights greatly condemns the police's behavior and demands the opening up of the democratic space. What the police did amounts to suppression of human freedoms of association and assembly. Police's involvement in procurement of venues for meeting of this nature seems rather out of their mandate. It is not within their jurisdiction. After all, it is preposterous for them to say there is no venue for a meeting that has been organized at the request of residents.

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