Zim rights group seek ‘immediate’ release of 220 detained activists

HARARE – A leading Zimbabwean rights group yesterday demanded the “immediate release” of 220 protesters arrested across the southern African country as they marched to press for a new constitution.

“Lawyers will be seeking the immediate release of the activists because they are being held by police illegally… they did nothing that constituted public disorder,” Ernest Mudzengi, a senior official of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), told AFP.”Right now our lawyer is at Harare police station to seek freedom of these people…two other lawyers are in Bulawayo and Mutare,” he said.Police pounced Wednesday when around 1 100 marchers took to the streets in the capital, in Bulawayo, the country’s second southern city, and Mutare, in the east on the border with Mozambique.The NCA marchers are demanding that Zimbabwe re-write its constitution, which has been amended at least 17 times since independence from Britain in 1980 and which the group said continued to enforce President Robert Mugabe’s stranglehold on the country.The NCA, an umbrella body of 109 civil rights groups, said the demonstrations were “part of the ongoing campaign for a new constitution that can help Zimbabwe out of the current political, social and economic crisis.”Police arrested some 125 marchers in Harare alone, some mothers with babies, the NCA added.In Bulawayo 83 marchers were arrested while 12 others were detained in Mutare.”The marchers did not endanger national security in any way…the law does not compel us to seek from police permission to march,” said Mudzengi.Zimbabwe’s tough security laws prohibit marches and political gatherings without police clearance.Mudzengi was adamant that the foreign-funded NCA would continue to organise peaceful protests to help “bring to an end the political and economic crises caused by an undemocratic framework.”Police said they would charge the protesters for “obstructing traffic”.- Nampa-AFPthey did nothing that constituted public disorder,” Ernest Mudzengi, a senior official of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), told AFP.”Right now our lawyer is at Harare police station to seek freedom of these people…two other lawyers are in Bulawayo and Mutare,” he said.Police pounced Wednesday when around 1 100 marchers took to the streets in the capital, in Bulawayo, the country’s second southern city, and Mutare, in the east on the border with Mozambique.The NCA marchers are demanding that Zimbabwe re-write its constitution, which has been amended at least 17 times since independence from Britain in 1980 and which the group said continued to enforce President Robert Mugabe’s stranglehold on the country.The NCA, an umbrella body of 109 civil rights groups, said the demonstrations were “part of the ongoing campaign for a new constitution that can help Zimbabwe out of the current political, social and economic crisis.”Police arrested some 125 marchers in Harare alone, some mothers with babies, the NCA added.In Bulawayo 83 marchers were arrested while 12 others were detained in Mutare.”The marchers did not endanger national security in any way…the law does not compel us to seek from police permission to march,” said Mudzengi.Zimbabwe’s tough security laws prohibit marches and political gatherings without police clearance.Mudzengi was adamant that the foreign-funded NCA would continue to organise peaceful protests to help “bring to an end the political and economic crises caused by an undemocratic framework.”Police said they would charge the protesters for “obstructing traffic”.- Nampa-AFP