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Police hound civic leaders ahead of 'murambatsvina' commemoration
Lance Guma, SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe
May 10, 2006

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news100506/policehound100506.htm

On the 25th of April this year we reported how the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZ) was organising 2 months of nationwide activities set for May to commemorate the brutal destruction of people’s homes and vending stalls under operation Murambatsvina. Eight days before the beginning of those activities, police in Bulawayo have started hounding all the prominent civic leaders based there. Starting with the arrest of Amakhosi Theatre productions director Cont Mhlanga on Tuesday, police in the city followed this up with visits to Bulawayo Agenda leader Gordon Moyo and NCA Regional Chairman Reginald Moyo.

Crisis in Zimbabwe had said that starting on the 18th of May the first week will be dominated by overnight vigils, petitions, public meetings and various forms of theatre linked to the plight of victims of the ‘clean up.’ Stretching up to the 18th of July various other forms of protest and remembrance activities are set to follow. The NCA is a member of the coalition and Reginald Moyo, its Bulawayo head, has been warned by police not to promote any ‘subversive’ plays. Officers visited the NCA offices on Wednesday looking for Moyo. On finding him away they left a note instructing him to report to the police station.

‘I reported to the police station and was warned by one senior police officer called Ndlovu. He said they will descend heavily on anyone who engages in any acts which are subversive.’ Gordon Moyo from Bulawayo Agenda got a similar visit on the same day. Police also left a note for him to report to the police station, which he later did. Junior officers however told him they had no power to interrogate him up until the senior officers handling the case came around.

Last month Itayi Zimunya an advocacy officer with CIZ said the commemorations were meant to take stock of everything that happened during the clean up. They also want to use the opportunity to seek assistance from well-wishers eager to help the victims. The remembrance will also raise political issues linked to the much touted Operation Garikai which the coalition says has failed to provide housing for the victims. ‘We want to know where the Z$3 trillion ear-marked for the project has gone to’ he said at the time. With just days remaining, Gordon Moyo believes the authorities are panicking.

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