More NCA officials arrested in Manicaland
By Violet Gonda
20 July 2007

The crackdown against activists from the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) continues. The group’s acting Youth Chairperson for Manicaland, Manex Mauya, was arrested together with two other activists on Friday. The group said in a statement that no reasons had yet been given for the latest arrests.

This comes three days after the police arrested provincial chairperson Elisha Makuyana, for allegedly insulting Robert Mugabe during a discussion on the controversial price reductions. This was the third time that Makuyana had been arrested in two weeks. He had previously been arrested for possessing shortwave radios that were meant for distribution to rural areas. The police later raided the NCA offices in Mutare and confiscated 21 radios. Makuyana was finally released on Friday after spending three days in police custody.

The NCA said in a statement: “Makuyana was given a tough time by the police who accused him of undermining the office of the President. He was further accused of being a white stooge being used by the NCA to further the interests of colonial masters. He was told in no uncertain times that the police (were) going to follow him up closely and that if he wants to live a normal life he should desist from the NCA.”

There is no one sector that has not been affected by bad government policies. All critics from the opposition, students, labour, business and health sector have been targeted by the regime.