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CHRA condemns violence!
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
October 29, 2008

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) condemns ZANU PF's continued infliction of violence on defenseless and innocent residents. Two members of CHRA were arrested, frivolously charged with inciting public violence and later released yesterday. The two women, whose names have been withheld for security reasons, are the Association's coordinators in their respective wards. They were arrested on Monday the 27^th of October 2008 during a demonstration against the delay in the talks on the formation of a Cabinet at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).

Scores of civic and political activists thronged the HICC on Monday demonstrating their discontent at the continued political stalemate that has worsened the already ailing economy and plunged many residents into a state of abject poverty. Over 50 activists were arrested and hundreds more were beaten by the police and the ZANU PF militia. Four activists were abducted by alleged ZANU PF militia who were moving around in one of the party's single cab Nissan Hard body vehicle, among the four, two were released after they had been heavily beaten and tortured; the other two are still missing.

ZANU PF is in power sharing talks with the MDC formations but still tortures and kill with impunity. This is a clear statement of bad faith and disrespect to fellow political parties and Zimbabweans in general. The Mugabe /defacto/ government and ZANU PF are pushing so hard towards a power sharing arrangement in which they retain everything while expecting the other parties to give everything. The September 15 power sharing agreement was reached as a compromise to give the people of Zimbabwe a chance to revive their economy, rule of law and employ the whole array of corrective measures during this transitional period. Residents demand that the compromise and faith they have invested in the power sharing deal should be respected and that it should happen now.

Residents should be given room to freely express themselves and voice their grievances without fear of political victimization. The tenets of democracy should be respected by everyone at all times and ZANU PF is not an exception. CHRA remains committed to demanding quality and accessible service delivery, good local governance and social justice.

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