Police force their way into Peace Project offices in Hillside

by Tichaona Sibanda on February 11, 2013

McDonald Lewanika

By Tichaona Sibanda
11 February 2013

Police in Harare stormed the offices of the Zimbabwe Peace project (ZPP) on Monday, looking for ‘items’ allegedly brought into the country illegally.

But the lunchtime raid, targeting a group involved in documenting human rights abuses by the former ruling ZANU PF regime, has raised eyebrows within civil society groups in the country.

Macdonald Lewanika, a director with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition sent out a tweet as the seven plain clothes officers forced their way into the ZPP.

‘Seven plain clothed police officers are raiding ZPP offices in Hillside, Harare. They have a warrant for illegal entry of goods or persons or communications equipment,’ said Lewanika on his twitter page.

He disclosed that police took away violence incidence reports, about 60 phones used by ZPP’s peace corps in communities and about 60 wind-up radios.

ZPP is led by Jestina Mukoko, a former ZBC newscaster and a human rights activist who, in December 2008, was abducted and held in communicado for a number of weeks. She was tortured by security forces for allegedly recruiting youths for military training with the MDC-T. Mukoko was reportedly not in the office during this latest raid.

The crackdown is sure to inflame accusations against the partisan state security agents that they want to silence organizations involved with civic voter education and others that will be observing the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

Jameson Timba, the Minister of State in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office, denounced the raid, promising to raise the issue at the appropriate level.

‘If it is correct that some law enforcement agents are surrounding the offices of the Zimbabwe Peace Project led by Jestina, this harassment must be condemned and challenged at the appropriate level and I will do so,’ Timba said.

Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us many activists in the capital have also denounced the raid, describing the organizations being targeted as the guardians of freedom in Zimbabwe.

Police on Monday also carried out raids on the offices of the Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) and Nango in Masvingo. There are reports two people were arrested in the raids.

  • wilbert_mukori

    This is a nightmare that is going on and on and will only get worse as we move into the elections. If these elections are allowed to go ahead, the violence will be a given.

  • super mondo

    farm invasions now invasions of privacy.this is the nightmare of zimbabwe.

  • http://www.facebook.com/nhamodzenyika.freedom Nhamodzenyika Freedom

    The shame of it is zanu pf still pretends to want free and fair elections , this is just a party gimmick while for zanu pf its business as usual ,as we know.
    A transition to free and fair elections in a government dominated by mugabe is a classic oxymoron. Who will guarantee that whenever elections are held mugabe will break with tradition and allow people to choose their leaders freely?

    • wilbert_mukori

      Well MDC have been sucked into believing that there can still be free and fair elections without the reforms. It is all very well for them, as long as they get back on the gravy train they do not care how many limbs are broken or body bags. It is those at the coal face, the people, who should seriously think whether they really want face the same brutality as in 2008. And for what? For another useless government that will promise more democratic changes, reforms, etc. which will never be implemented.

      • http://www.facebook.com/nhamodzenyika.freedom Nhamodzenyika Freedom

        IN as much as i hate to say it i totaly agree with you because it leaves us with very little hope and we need hope or a party that Will be of the people , for the people and By the people .

  • Chimbwidos Warvets

    The so-called Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) are agents for foreign capital who have been groomed to project their image in the eyes of the Zimbabwean people. It is all about controlling the mind and soul of the Zimbabwean people to be better subjects that promote their interests. It is all a power and control game being played by foreigners using our own people. From slavery to colonialism and now neo-colonialism ‘negros’ never learn a thing as they continue to be used by foreigners to fight their own people.