MDC leader Welshman Ncube, the party’s secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi, her deputy Moses Mzila Ndlovu and close to two dozen others were detained by Hwange police on Sunday night but later released without charge.
The trio – all cabinet ministers in a shaky coalition with President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and a rival MDC faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai – were returning from Victoria Falls when they were flagged down at a roadblock, officials said.
Their convoy of several vehicles was directed to Hwange Police Station under police escort.
Party spokesman Nhlanhla Dube, who was among the 20 officials in the convoy, said they were held for more than four hours, although police say it was only 30 minutes.
“It became clear that the roadblock was set up for us because as soon as we were told we were all under arrest, the cones that they had used to slow down traffic were removed,” Dube said.
“Once we were at the police station, they took Ncube, Misihairabwi and Mzila to a room where they were grilled about our activities that day for a good hour from about 7.30PM to 8.30PM. We did not leave the station until 11.45PM when we were told we would not be charged.”
Matabeleland North police chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai told state media that police had “invited” the MDC leaders to the police station because “their security is our concern”.
“They were not arrested. They were only invited to explain what they were doing. They are VIPs and as the police their security is our concern.
“They were at the CID for less than 30 minutes and were released.”
But Dube rejected the police account as “laughable”.
He added: “Where have you heard of VIPs being called to police stations to explain what they are doing, especially if they are travelling with their aides who can easily answer all the police questions?
“For a whole police commander to mislead the nation that we were inconvenienced for 30 minutes when in actual fact we were detained without good cause for more than four hours is beyond the pale. Even if his watch was set to slow motion, he would not compress the period of our detention to 30 minutes.”
The MDC leaders were returning from meeting party officials in Victoria Falls, Dube said.
“The president and senior leadership also met people who have been defecting from MDC-T although that was not the purpose of the visit. We were there for party building purposes."
Security laws forbid political parties, labour unions and civic groups from holding gatherings of more than four people without clearance from a senior police officer.
Critics accuse the police of using the law to emasculate Mugabe’s opponents.