More opposition beatings in Zimbabwe

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s crackdown on dissent continued yesterday as an opposition activist was stopped from leaving the country at Harare International Airport and badly beaten, his colleagues reported.

The attack on Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) comes amid mounting criticism on the continent and abroad of the government action against opposition activists. “He was badly beaten this morning whilst he was on his way to the airport by security agents,” said William Bango, a spokesman for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.Chamisa had been due to fly out to Belgium for a meeting.He became the third opposition politician to be blocked from leaving the country this weekend.On Saturday, state security agents arrested Arthur Mutambara, leader of an MDC breakaway faction, when he tried to leave to South Africa.Also barred from leaving the country were activists Grace Kwinje and Sekai Holland, who wanted to leave for South Africa for medical attention, after being beaten by security forces last Sunday.And Arthur Mutambara, leader of the breakaway faction of the MDC, was rearrested on Saturday at Harare International Airport and charged with inciting public violence, his lawyer Harrison Nkomo told AFP yesterday.Rashweat Mukundu, a media committee member of the Save Zimbabwe coalition, told AFP: “This is an attempt in stopping the world from seeing what exactly the brutality is that was subjected on the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and other civic activists.”He added: “This is a violation of freedom of movement rights, violation of freedom of association.This also marks a turning point in the political situation in Zimbabwe.”The government is now behaving like a rebel group of some sort.”His comments echoed those of the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a telephone interview with the BBC Sunday.”Things are bad but I think this crisis has reached a tipping point and we could be seeing the beginning of the end of this dictatorship,” said Tsvangirai.On Saturday, the African Union made its strongest comments yet when it called on Zimbabwe to respect human rights and democratic principles during the political crisis engulfing the country.African Union commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare said President Robert Mugabe’s government must have “respect for human rights and democratic principles in Zimbabwe,” the pan-African body said in a statement.Despite the AU’s comments, Mukundu said this was not enough.Nampa-AFP”He was badly beaten this morning whilst he was on his way to the airport by security agents,” said William Bango, a spokesman for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.Chamisa had been due to fly out to Belgium for a meeting.He became the third opposition politician to be blocked from leaving the country this weekend.On Saturday, state security agents arrested Arthur Mutambara, leader of an MDC breakaway faction, when he tried to leave to South Africa.Also barred from leaving the country were activists Grace Kwinje and Sekai Holland, who wanted to leave for South Africa for medical attention, after being beaten by security forces last Sunday.And Arthur Mutambara, leader of the breakaway faction of the MDC, was rearrested on Saturday at Harare International Airport and charged with inciting public violence, his lawyer Harrison Nkomo told AFP yesterday.Rashweat Mukundu, a media committee member of the Save Zimbabwe coalition, told AFP: “This is an attempt in stopping the world from seeing what exactly the brutality is that was subjected on the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and other civic activists.”He added: “This is a violation of freedom of movement rights, violation of freedom of association.This also marks a turning point in the political situation in Zimbabwe.”The government is now behaving like a rebel group of some sort.”His comments echoed those of the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a telephone interview with the BBC Sunday.”Things are bad but I think this crisis has reached a tipping point and we could be seeing the beginning of the end of this dictatorship,” said Tsvangirai.On Saturday, the African Union made its strongest comments yet when it called on Zimbabwe to respect human rights and democratic principles during the political crisis engulfing the country.African Union commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare said President Robert Mugabe’s government must have “respect for human rights and democratic principles in Zimbabwe,” the pan-African body said in a statement.Despite the AU’s comments, Mukundu said this was not enough.Nampa-AFP