POLICE say they are charging 10 supporters of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party over the murder of a police officer in Harare last Sunday, but none have been brought to court yet in violation of the rights, lawyers said.
Police spokesman Senior Assistant Commissioner Waynne Bvudzijena said they had also released seven others who had been picked up over the slaying of Inspector Petros Mutedza in Glen View suburb.
But the MDC-T insisted on Thursday that at least 24 of its members were still being held, some since Sunday – well past the 48-hour legal window to bring them before magistrates or release them.
Police have vowed to hunt down Inspector Mutedza’s killers, while announcing a major review of policing at political rallies.
Mutedza was beaten to death after officers tried to disrupt what police say was an illegal meeting of MDC-T supporters at a Glenview nightclub. The party strongly refutes the charges.
Lawyers representing the MDC-T members went to the High Court on Thursday trying to compel the police to allow them access to the activists, but police moved quickly to grant access, said the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Lawyer Charles Kwaramba said they had been allowed to see 24 of the MDC-T activists including Glen View ward councillor, Tungamirai Madzokere.
The MDC-T, meanwhile, accused police of beating up and torturing some of the arrested activists to extract confessions.
“Some of those arrested were seriously injured after being assaulted in custody but are not receiving any medical treatment,” the party said in a statement.
It listed those detained as Yvonne Musarurwa, Rebecca Mafukeni, Steven Manjoro, Cynthia Manjoro, Gabriel Banda Shumba, Eliah Mukamba, Farukai Felix, William Njenda, Stanford Mangwiro, Casper Chinyanga, Brian Kasungama, Edwin Nhingiri, Last Maengahama, Stanley Maengahama, Edison Maengahama, Lazarus Maengahama, Odeus Chitanda, Lloyd Chitanda, Precious Chitanda, Mavis Madzokere, Ollyn Madzokere, Stefan Takaedzwa, Benjamin Majecha and Councillor Madzokere.
Police announced on Wednesday that officers assigned to maintain order at political rallies would not be given arms to protect themselves.
"Let me tell the nation that the ZRP is going to defend itself because some people have declared war on us. We did not declare war on them," police minister Kembo Mohadi said.