HARARE – Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has admitted that dozens of opposition activists were arrested ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in order to prevent potential demonstrations against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime.
Over 100 political activists are currently being detained in Zimbabwean prisons by the police. Jameson Timba, a former Cabinet Minister who was arrested in June together with 78 others is one of them.
Prince Dubeko Sibanda, a former Binga North legislator was also arrested during the last weekend in Beitbridge for allegedly inciting public violence ahead of the SADC summit that crowned Mnangagwa as the new Chairperson, a rotational post.
Describing the detained activists as “deviants,” Mutsvangwa said they can now be released since the summit is over and they are not posing any threats.
“Those are deviants, and they were dealt with properly. We’re very happy that they failed. They will never succeed again. This was their last move at misbehaviour. They will never get another chance.
“I’m sure there is enough reason to free them up soon after because there is no show to disturb. What they wanted to disturb is over.
“There is no reason to keep them at the State’s expense after failure. We reward their failure by giving them their freedom. I’m sure in the wisdom of the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister Justice, there will be a good reason to make sure they are free.
“We don’t punish failure by rewarding it with incarceration,” Mutsvangwa said.
Out of sixteen SADC heads of states, only thirteen attended. Hakainde Hichilema, the President of Zambia, did not attend, allegedly because he is opposed to Mnangagwa’s oppressive regime.
In June this year, Mnangagwa complained to Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on the sidelines of an investment summit, saying that the Americans were consolidating their power in Zambia, establishing their military bases there and isolating Zimbabwe.
“….. the West will run away. You see, the West has just begun consolidating its power in Zambia, our next neighbour. You know, there was a time when Zambia and Zimbabwe were one; it was called Northern and Southern Rhodesia,” the Zimbabwean leader said.
The statement was later condemned by the Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Minister said his country was actually engaging SADC to resolve the dispute between the two countries.
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