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Matebeleland
North: Forbidden ground for civic activity
Bhekumusa
Moyo
July 14, 2011
Political and
civic space is shrinking in Matabeleland North with organizations
being denied clearance even when applied well in time. It has become
taboo in the province to speak the words like 'peace-
and "development". This has come as a crippling kick
to programs of these organizations. Political parties have not been
spared; save for the evil crew of ZANU PF which is enjoying a monopoly
of the political space in Matabeleland North as they hold meetings
when they please.
ZANU-PF had
a meeting on Thursday the 7th of July 2011 and this reporter is
reliably informed that a similar meeting happened on the 9th of
July at the Lupane Local Board Hall. To demonstrate their partisanship,
the Lupane Police refused the MDC-T to hold its District Assembly
on the 11th of July at a private place in Lupane. "It-s
now a trend, if you don-t belong or aligned to ZANU PF you
cannot be cleared", said a member of the MDC-T District Assembly.
Earlier in the
month of July, Professor Welshman Ncube was summoned
to Hwange Police Station for "advise" with his delegation.
The Matabeleland North Police have unceremoniously earned themselves
a name as being the grandmothers of arresting civic society members
and government officials who are not members of ZANU-PF. They brag
of having Prime Minister Tsvangirai-s vehicle in their custody,
arresting Bulawayo
Agenda staff, ZimRights
staff, denying NYDT
and LYDT
clearance.
Alfred Sihwa
the Coordinator of Lupane Youth for Development, a youth organization
based in Lupane bemoaned the unfair application of the draconian
POSA. They
had a meeting scheduled for the 14th of July in Lupanda, deep rural
Lupane. It was denied clearance for the reason that Minister Nhema
will be in the town on Friday. He said his organization is targeting
a vulnerable group of youths and the government is doing nothing
to help the situation only to deny them a chance to interact and
support these young people.
"I understand that I notify Police officers of meetings not
apply for clearance. The cancelling process negatively affects our
programs. If I am told to cancel the meeting exactly on the day
of its happening it makes my organization lose credibility. I use
a lot of resources avoiding to be arrested as I move up and down
to and from the police station," said Mr. Sihwa who was infuriated
by the cancelling of his youth meeting.
"I think
Matabeleland North is under threat as a province, just look at the
arrests happening. You will never know what is going to happen to
us next", he added. His organization is not the only one that
has been affected by the unpopular POSA. The National Youth Development
Trust also has been denied clearance for a meeting which was scheduled
for the 16th of July 2011. Earlier in the year NYDT was denied clearance
until they had a court interdict.
The regulating
officer was not in office to state the reasons why meetings are
not cleared. The officer who received the phone who identified himself
as Chinos confirmed that they had a couple of applications denied
this month in Lupane.
"Matabeleland
North is under threat for sure. To prove this, ask Minister Mzila,
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Professor Welsman Ncube, Mziwandile
Ndlovu, Florence Ndlovu and other organizations working in the area.
I don-t know why the police of this region are doing this.
It affects us and leaves us isolated from the rest of the country
activities. The only activities allowed have to be aligned to ZANU
PF. POSA must go" said a young person who chose to be anonymous
after being asked to comment on the cancellation of a youth meeting
which was scheduled for the 16th at Matshabalala Hall in Lupane
by NYDT.
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