News / National
Abduction of teachers by state agents condemned
29 Apr 2019 at 09:08hrs | Views
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has condemned the abduction of four of its members by suspected members of the Central Intelligence Organisation on Saturday morning.
The four teachers whow ere arrested are Robson Chere, Jess Drury, Precious Ndlovu and Munyaradzi Ndawana.
They were charged with Section 37 of the Criminal Law Reform and Cordification Act which criminalises participating in gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry.
The section says: The crime of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, a breach of the peace or bigotry is committed whether the action constituting it is spontaneous or planned in advance, and whether the place or meeting where it occurred is public or private.
In a statement on Monday ARTUZ said, "The teachers were abducted in Greystone Park, Harare at 10:45 on Saturday 27 April 2019 by about ten state security agents in plainclothes who illegally forced their way into a private property without a search warrant and forced the four teachers into two unmarked vehicles and gathered up all workshop materials which were placed in a third vehicle (white Toyota Rav 4 reg number ADL 7066). The abductors are suspected to be from the Central Intelligence Organisation or the Military Intelligence.
"The teachers were interrogated for more than four hours without being given access to their lawyers or being informed of their right to remain silent. Their lawyers were lied to by state security agents about their whereabouts. During their interrogation, Robson Chere and Munyaradzi Ndawana were physically assaulted and psychological manipulation was used against Jess Drury and Precious Ndlovu."
ARTUZ says after the abduction was widely publicized, the state agents handed over the teachers to the ZRP Law and order.
"After their abduction had been widely publicized, the teachers were subsequently handed over to ZRP Law and Order and were charged with section 37 of the Criminal Code (Participating in gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry). ARTUZ condemns this absurd charge and has no basis in fact. The meeting in question was about educational techniques and pedagogical approaches developed by educators such as Paulo Freire and had an explicit emphasis on the need peaceful resolution of conflict and nonviolence."
The four teachers whow ere arrested are Robson Chere, Jess Drury, Precious Ndlovu and Munyaradzi Ndawana.
They were charged with Section 37 of the Criminal Law Reform and Cordification Act which criminalises participating in gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry.
The section says: The crime of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, a breach of the peace or bigotry is committed whether the action constituting it is spontaneous or planned in advance, and whether the place or meeting where it occurred is public or private.
"The teachers were interrogated for more than four hours without being given access to their lawyers or being informed of their right to remain silent. Their lawyers were lied to by state security agents about their whereabouts. During their interrogation, Robson Chere and Munyaradzi Ndawana were physically assaulted and psychological manipulation was used against Jess Drury and Precious Ndlovu."
ARTUZ says after the abduction was widely publicized, the state agents handed over the teachers to the ZRP Law and order.
"After their abduction had been widely publicized, the teachers were subsequently handed over to ZRP Law and Order and were charged with section 37 of the Criminal Code (Participating in gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry). ARTUZ condemns this absurd charge and has no basis in fact. The meeting in question was about educational techniques and pedagogical approaches developed by educators such as Paulo Freire and had an explicit emphasis on the need peaceful resolution of conflict and nonviolence."
Source - Byo24News
