MDC national organizer Amos Chibaya arrested “for failing to stop protests”
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has issued a statement saying its National Organizer Amos Chibaya (MP) has been arrested and charged with failing to take steps to stop demonstrations that had been planned for four cities across the country.
“Chibaya was the convener of the MDC’s proposed peaceful demonstrations in four cities that were later foiled by the police after they issued four prohibition orders to stop citizens in the respective cities from exercising their democratic rights as enshrined in the supreme law of the land.”
“Upon hearing that the police were looking for him, the Mkoba MP handed himself over to Harare Central police at around 4pm today in the company of his lawyer, Obey Shava.”
“The police are saying he failed to take proper steps to stop a demonstration. They have refused to let him go so he has been locked up,” Shava said.
“Chibaya, who is still with his lawyer, is still being quizzed by the police. Chibaya is currently on bail on yet another trumped up charge of subversion emanating from the January 2019 disturbances and for which he has been slapped with reporting conditions,” the MDC said.
“His arrest is testimony of the closure of democratic space in Zimbabwe. In fact, the country is under a de facto state of emergency, judging by the abductions, torture and arrests of innocent Zimbabweans in the past few days,” Deputy National spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said.
Police spokesman Paul Nyathi could not immediately comment on Chibaya’s detention.
Meanwhile the government said in a statement that police were investigating a report of a female comedian Samantha “Gonyeti” Kureya who was kidnapped and assaulted by unknown armed men on Wednesday night. The comedian has been critical of the government and police in her skits.
