17 arrested as NCA continue with new constitution protests

By Violet Gonda
11 July 2007

Despite the repression in Zimbabwe there are still pockets of people who are brave enough to take to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the way the country is being governed. 17 people from the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) were arrested in Mutare on Wednesday doing just that. The pressure group vows to continue calling for a new constitution, even though Robert Mugabe was quoted by the state media recently saying there was absolutely no need for a new constitution as the current one serves the country well.

But NCA director Ernest Mudzengi said undeterred, more than 150 people took part in the early morning demonstrations in the eastern border town.

The pressure group said police embarked on a witch-hunt shortly after the protests began, resulting in the arrests of the 16 activists and Bernard Dube, the NCA field officer.

MDC information officer Pishai Muchauraya said two MDC officials, Councillor Maxwell Matiasha and Moses Unganai were also arrested in the process.

Meanwhile, in Harare NCA demonstrators were violently dispersed by police as they reached parliament late Wednesday afternoon. The group reported that by early evening the police were surrounding their Harare headquarters. Mudzengi said the activists had marched from the main Post Office but were confronted by riot police with dogs as they reached the parliament building. The pressure group vows to continue demonstrating as long as the country does not have a democratic, people-driven constitution.