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Zimbabwe police in violent crackdown against CCC
18 Jun 2024 at 01:57hrs | Views
Police in Harare engaged in a violent crackdown on Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party activists gathered at leader Jameson Timba's residence on Sunday.
The police accused them of holding an illegal meeting, resulting in over 20 people sustaining serious injuries. Among the injured, three activists required orthopaedic attention, and more than five suffered fractured hands during the altercation.
According to CCC sources, approximately 79 activists were commemorating the Day of the African Child at Timba's private residence in Avondale. Subsequently, the victims were divided among different police stations, with 58 held at Harare Central Police Station and over 20 detained at Avondale Police Station.
Agency Gumbo, the activists' lawyer, confirmed the injuries, noting that Timba was seriously hurt with a swollen elbow from police beatings. He stated that medical examinations would be conducted once the activists were released from custody.
Gumbo further alleged that police fired gunshots and tear gas upon arrival, instructing activists to jump into a swimming pool, regardless of possessions in their pockets, such as cellphones. This action was condemned as unethical by Gumbo, who added that the activists were transported to police stations in wet clothes, prompting colleagues to provide blankets for warmth.
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi condemned the arrests as unlawful and undemocratic, emphasizing that celebrating the Day of the African Child should not lead to such brutality. Meanwhile, police in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, also disrupted a CCC youth meeting at the party's provincial headquarters, causing attendees to scatter.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed Timba's arrest and that of other opposition activists, citing their gathering as unsanctioned and initiated due to a tip-off. He mentioned that during the arrests, activists turned violent, throwing stones at officers, necessitating reinforcements.
Nyathi indicated that more details would follow, as he was preoccupied with an unrelated bus accident in Rusape, where eight passengers perished in a fire on a Pashonlink bus carrying church members.
The police accused them of holding an illegal meeting, resulting in over 20 people sustaining serious injuries. Among the injured, three activists required orthopaedic attention, and more than five suffered fractured hands during the altercation.
According to CCC sources, approximately 79 activists were commemorating the Day of the African Child at Timba's private residence in Avondale. Subsequently, the victims were divided among different police stations, with 58 held at Harare Central Police Station and over 20 detained at Avondale Police Station.
Agency Gumbo, the activists' lawyer, confirmed the injuries, noting that Timba was seriously hurt with a swollen elbow from police beatings. He stated that medical examinations would be conducted once the activists were released from custody.
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi condemned the arrests as unlawful and undemocratic, emphasizing that celebrating the Day of the African Child should not lead to such brutality. Meanwhile, police in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, also disrupted a CCC youth meeting at the party's provincial headquarters, causing attendees to scatter.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed Timba's arrest and that of other opposition activists, citing their gathering as unsanctioned and initiated due to a tip-off. He mentioned that during the arrests, activists turned violent, throwing stones at officers, necessitating reinforcements.
Nyathi indicated that more details would follow, as he was preoccupied with an unrelated bus accident in Rusape, where eight passengers perished in a fire on a Pashonlink bus carrying church members.
Source - Newsday
