Statement from the MDC
The latest malicious attempt by the police to arrest the MDC Treasurer-General and deputy Agriculture minister-designate, Senator Roy Bennett is a well-orchestrated political persecution and victimisation of the MDC. Police officers from the Law and Order Section have for the past two weeks been hunting for Bennett on yet to be established set of trumped-up charges.
What is more worrying is that the police officers are refusing to state their agenda on why they want to arrest Hon. Bennett. However, what is clear is that Senator Bennett has no case to answer and the attempt by the police to incarcerate him is only politically motivated.
The reason why the police are not divulging the reasons why Senator Bennett is being sought for is obviously meant to justify his arrest so that he remains in custody under the draconian and abused Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
The intention to arrest Senator Bennett is a malicious plot hatched by certain rogue elements in Zanu PF including the disgraced Attorney-General Johannes Tomana who are against his swearing-in of Senator Bennett as deputy Agriculture minister two years after the signing of the GPA.
It is no wonder that the persecution of Hon. Bennett has now reached alarming and ridiculous levels and is raising a lot of unnecessary eyebrows to the detriment to of the health of the inclusive government. The MDC wonders why the police and the AG are keen to arrest Senator Bennett and other MDC members at will, while ignoring known Zanu PF officials and supporters who have been implicated in political violence, which led to the death of over 500 MDC members in 2008.
It is known that since 2004, Zanu PF has been harassing and arresting Senator Bennett on trumped-up and frivolous charges simply because he is fighting for real change and for democracy in Zimbabwe. As a party we feel that the continued attacks on Senator Bennett and other MDC supporters, especially in the rural areas are likely to threaten the life and spirit of the inclusive government.
The MDC feels that the continued attacks on Senator Bennett and MDC supporters, especially in the rural areas are likely to threaten the life and spirit of the loveless coalition called the inclusive government. The MDC calls for an immediate stop to the continued harassment of Senator Bennett and that he must be sworn-in as the deputy Agriculture minister so that he gets down to work in breathing a new life to the ailing agriculture sector.
MDC Information and Publicity Department
