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SADC Lawyers Association condemns the harassment of civil society
representatives by Zimbabwean state security agents at the SADC
Extraordinary Summit in Windhoek
The
SADC Lawyers' Association
May 23, 2010
The SADC Lawyers
Association is appalled by the harassment of civil society organizations'
representatives at the SADC Extraordinary Summit in Windhoek
on 20 May 2011 by Zimbabwean state security agents accompanied by
Namibian police officers. Various members of civil society organizations
from Zimbabwe and the region were at the Summit to highlight their
concerns on issues that were on the summit agenda, including the
crisis in Zimbabwe and the future of the SADC Tribunal.
The Civil Society
Organizations held meetings and press conferences in various venues
in Windhoek to highlight their concerns. At the venue of the Summit,
Safari Court Hotel, some Zimbabwean state security agents who refused
to identify themselves targeted Zimbabwe
National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO)
chairperson Dadirai Chikwengo, Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition officials MacDonald Lewanika, Pedzisayi
Ruhanya and Dewa Mavhinga and other representatives of the Zimbabwe
Election Support Network who were distributing statements with
civil society demands to the summit. They were taken away from the
hotel by the Namibian police under the watchful eye of the Zimbabwean
state security agents. This was despite the fact that ZANU PF youths,
led by one Nguni were allowed to freely distribute glossy booklets
titled "Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) and the Culture
of Violence" without any interference from either the Namibian
Police or the Zimbabwe state security agents.
The SADC Lawyers'
Association Executive Secretary Makanatsa Makonese, Executive Director
of the Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights Irene Petras, Lloyd Kuvheya of the
Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Joy Mabhenge of the Institute
for a Democratic Alternative in Zimbabwe were also targeted whilst
holding a meeting at the Safari Court Hotel. They were taken from
the hotel into the parking area by armed police officers and interrogated
by aggressive Zimbabwe state security agents for more than an hour.
The security agents asked personal questions about the CSO representatives'
addresses in Zimbabwe, villages of origin, who had paid for their
tickets to Namibia and where they were staying in Namibia. They
also demanded the four's passports to record their national
identity numbers and other identity information.
Another civil society representative Jealousy Mawarire
was briefly detained for taking pictures whilst a car that was being
used by Dewa Mavhinga was confiscated. Both Mawarire and the car
were only released after the intervention of Namibian human rights
lawyer Norman Tjombe.
The SADC Lawyers
Association is dismayed that the Zimbabwe state security agents
continue to behave as a law unto themselves, even on foreign land.
To this end the Association supports the call made by the Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights on 20 May 2011 for the reform of the Zimbabwean
security sector as enunciated in the Zimbabwe Global
Political Agreement. It is sad that the Namibian police officials
allowed themselves to be used by these agents to harass harmless
and peaceful civil society organization representatives who had
not committed any offence. The Government of Zimbabwe, state security
agents in that country and SADC Governments are reminded that civil
society organizations and individual citizens have a right to be
heard and to participate in issues that affect how they are governed.
Issued for and
on behalf of the SADC Lawyers Association
By Thoba Poyo-Dlwati
President
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