Defiant NCA activists spend third day in police custody across Zimbabwe

By Violet Gonda
14 July 2006

Scores of activists from the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) who were arrested in Harare and Mutare are still in police custody and have refused to pay admission of guilt fines. The defiant activists who were arrested after the pressure group held demonstrations for a new constitution in 5 major cities say that to pay fines would be admitting that what they did was wrong. They prefer to take the matter to the courts and the date for their appearance is not yet known.

The NCA warned in a statement: “Justice delayed is justice denied: NCA members are to go back to the streets to press for the release of arrested cadres.”
The group said to demonstrate for a constitution that can help bring political, social and economic sanity to the crisis-ridden country is a noble national cause.

Our correspondent, Simon Muchemwa, reports that those arrested in Harare have been dumped in crowded, rank cells. He said one of the activists Evidence Hwenzira fell seriously ill on Thursday. This was confirmed by NCA Spokesperson Madock Chivasa who said in a statement that the group
appealed to the Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi and Health Minister David Parirenyatwa to intervene and allow the NCA to provide food and medication for those arrested. “We have failed to do this so far and the lives of our members are in real danger. One of the members collapsed in cells at Harare and is currently battling for life at Parirenyatwa hospital.”

By late Friday afternoon Muchemwa had visited the hospital and reported that because of a strike at Parirenyatwa hospital the activist could not get any treatment and was sent back to Harare Central Police.

The NCA said in a statement that it was “deeply worried and concerned at the manner in which police continue to detain its members unlawfully after they peacefully demonstrated on Wednesday.”

The pressure group said in Harare that 128 people still remain detained at Harare Central police station. The arrested include four women with infants on their backs. In Mutare 13 more NCA members were arrested Thursday evening, bringing those detained in the eastern border town to 26.

The police in Mutare have not yet formally charged the NCA members despite the fact that they have already spent two days and two nights in police custody. It’s reported that the 5 who were arrested in Bulawayo, were released late last night after they were allegedly coerced to pay admission of guilt fines.