Mutambara, 3 MPs arrested in Budiriro

Mutambara, 3 MPs arrested in Budiriro

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN police arrested opposition leader Arthur Mutambara and three legislators on Friday while they were on the campaign trail in the Harare suburb of Budiriro.

At least 50 other members were arrested along with Glen Norah MP Priscilla Misihairabwi, Zengeza MP Goodwill Chimbaira, Edwin Mushoriwa of Dzivaresekwa and the MDC's candidate in the weekend Budiriro parliamentary by-election, Gabriel Chibva.

MDC Secretary General Welshman Ncube said the group had been released pending a court appearance on Monday to face charges of violating Zimbabwe's tough security laws.

"The arrests serve as a depressing reminder of the political intolerance that exists in Zimbabwe and the arbitrary application of the rule of law," Ncube's statement said.

Mutambara was staging the 'car rally' in the suburb of Budiriro tubthumping for Chaibva ahead of Saturday's parliamentary by-election.

Chaibva had earlier told New Zimbabwe.com that his road show, which would have seen his campaign team's convoy go through the streets of Glen View and Budiriro without stopping (this would contravene POSA), was interrupted at about 8.30 on Friday morning as it went past Glen View police station.

"They just rounded us up and now, three hours later, they have not charged us or told us what we did wrong," said Chaibva.

He added: "Funny enough, I spoke to the officer in charge, Jaravanda, who knew about the road show -- and he told me he had instructed the officers here to let us go and avoid causing a scene. But we have been told that the orders to continue detaining us have come from elsewhere."

Mutambara was being occasionally summoned into one of the offices at the station.

Correspondents say the police were quite hostile to the media and refused to answer questions.

The police even threated to confiscate camera equipment belonging to state broadcaster Newsnet, forcing the crew, which included political correspondent Douglas Rinomhota and Spren Mutiwi, to beat a hasty retreat from the station.

A Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (ZESN) observer who was at the station said the incident could have been sparked by one overzealous youth who shoved a pedestrian as the convoy drove past the police station. The MDC officials denied this incident took place.

It is the first time that former university student leader and NASA scientist Mutambara has been arrested since his return to lead the disintegrating MDC which split into two factions last November.

The MDC factions will both be fielding candidates. The other faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai introduced its candidate, Emmanuel Chisvuvure, to Budiriro residents last week.

On Thursday, President Robert Mugabe held his ruling Zanu PF party's star rally in Budiriro, with hundreds of school children in attendance. He urged voters to back his party's candidate, Jeremiah Bvirindi.

Sporadic scenes of violence have broken out in the race for the Budiriro seat, with all the main parties accusing each other.

Mugabe has turned up the heat on his opponents apparently over fears they are about to launch a new wave of anti-government protests.

This week, police banned street marches and prayer meetings planned by some churches to mark the plight of thousands of people left homeless by a government crackdown on slums a year ago over suspicion they could spark wider protests.

In a stepped up campaign against government critics and rivals, rights groups said on Thursday dozens of activists and trade union officials had this week either been summoned by police or warned by Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives against organising anti-Mugabe demonstrations.

University lecturer John Makumbe -- a prominent critic of Mugabe -- was detained by police for about five hours on Wednesday, apparently for helping rights groups to draw up a programme to commemorate the slum demolitions.

"A number of people have been questioned, and are being intimidated around the country, from civic society, the MDC and anyone suspected that they could involved in organising activities critical of the government," said Itai Zimunya of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.

The ZCTU was due to hold an annual congress at the weekend likely to focus on workers' demands for a minimum annual wage matching Zimbabwe's poverty line, currently at U.S.$405.

Political analysts say although Zimbabweans have largely been cowed by Mugabe's use of riot police to crush earlier street protests, a crumbling economy has increased public frustration with the government and the risk of riots.

Riot police have been camped at a square in the capital Harare's city centre which has been the venue of protest rallies in the last few years.

The country is wrestling with shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency, as well as with unemployment of over 70 percent and the highest inflation rate in the world topping 1,000 percent.

The World Bank says Zimbabwe, whose gross domestic product has contracted by 40 percent over the last eight years, has the fastest-shrinking economy outside a war zone - Staff Reporter/Reuters
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