MDC-T youth leader arrested

The Zimbabwe Republic Police today arrested Leman Pwanyiwa an MDC-T Youth Organising Secretary for Shamva South and charged him with Criminal Nuisance as enshrined in {Section 46(2) of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act}.

Pwanyiwa is the losing MDC-T MP Candidate For Shamva South Constituency.

Reports are that today at 08:30hrs two policemen went to Pwanyiwa's House in Shamva South and read him the charge sheet and asked him to accompany them to the Police Station. The Police allege that on 16 July 2013, clad in MDC-T regalia, Pwanyiwa drove around with his campaign team playing MDC-T music loudly from his car. They then stormed Hse 5 Nehanda street, Shamva Gold Mine. The house belongs to a staunch ZANUPF activist, Netsai Chigwada (aka Mai Tadhewu).

It is further alleged that they parked their vehicle at her front yard, started singing along party songs from the car radio and chanted MDC-T slogans before driving off.

The incident, police said, threatened the security of the complainant, Chigwada, prompting her to report the incident to the police.

Contacted for comment the fuming Youth leader said, "This is a calculated ploy to purge opposition leaders from the political scene and is part of a broader Agenda by the ZANU PF regime to destabilise our party and demoralise our supporters at a time when we are reinvigorating our structures and galvanising our base. There are better things to do for policemen. Talk about rampant thieving and corruption in government. Its all over the news, the people are known and why not arrest those people?"

Asked on what steps he will take, Pwanyiwa said, ‘Well, as a law abiding citizens, I will see the end of it in court. My spirit will not waver. I will not tire to fight the Democratic Struggle whether they rig elections or drag me to court until democracy prevails."

After interrogation by Police, pwanyiwa was later released to his own custody and advised to appear in court on 22 May 2014.

Pwanyiwa is no stranger to police harassment. Prior to the July 31 elections he was hauled before the courts several times on similar allegations.

His campaign Team was attacked and houses belonging to his supporters were torched and their property destroyed during the run up to the harmonised elections last year by ZANU PF activists, but no single arrest was made.

Shamva is a politically volatile mining area controlled by ZANU PF.