Zim police arrest 43 on Mugabe’s birthday

HARARE – Police in the Zimbabwean capital Harare arrested 43 demonstrators who tried to march to President Robert Mugabe’s offices on his birthday on Tuesday to demand a new Constitution, local reports said.

The 43, all members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), were late on Tuesday being detained at Harare Central police station, said lawyer Alec Muchadehama. All but one of the detained are women, he said.”They [the police] have not advised them what charges they are likely to face,” Muchadehama told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in a telephone interview.It would appear that the police are alleging that they were demonstrating illegally.Mugabe celebrated his 82nd birthday on Tuesday amid worsening economic hardships in Zimbabwe.In a statement, the NCA alleged that some of the demonstrators were beaten.The NCA has regularly staged anti-government marches in recent years, earning the group the wrath of the police and the authorities.Under tough security laws, all organisers of demonstrations are supposed to seek police clearance several days in advance.”The NCA would like to express its deep concern over the manner in which the police today brutally assaulted NCA female members who had demonstrated as President Mugabe was celebrating his 82nd birthday,” said the group’s chairperson Lovemore Madhuku.”The NCA will not be deterred by such intimidating tactics.We will not get out of the streets unless our goal is achieved,” he added.Madhuku said the women had marched from a bus terminus towards Mugabe’s offices to “tell him that they want a Constitution that protects, among other things, women’s rights”.There was no immediate confirmation of the arrests from the police.- Nampa-Sapa-DPAAll but one of the detained are women, he said.”They [the police] have not advised them what charges they are likely to face,” Muchadehama told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in a telephone interview.It would appear that the police are alleging that they were demonstrating illegally.Mugabe celebrated his 82nd birthday on Tuesday amid worsening economic hardships in Zimbabwe.In a statement, the NCA alleged that some of the demonstrators were beaten.The NCA has regularly staged anti-government marches in recent years, earning the group the wrath of the police and the authorities.Under tough security laws, all organisers of demonstrations are supposed to seek police clearance several days in advance.”The NCA would like to express its deep concern over the manner in which the police today brutally assaulted NCA female members who had demonstrated as President Mugabe was celebrating his 82nd birthday,” said the group’s chairperson Lovemore Madhuku.”The NCA will not be deterred by such intimidating tactics.We will not get out of the streets unless our goal is achieved,” he added.Madhuku said the women had marched from a bus terminus towards Mugabe’s offices to “tell him that they want a Constitution that protects, among other things, women’s rights”.There was no immediate confirmation of the arrests from the police.- Nampa-Sapa-DPA