Prominent Zimbabwean lawyers arrested in Harare & Mutare

By Violet Gonda
15 May 2007

Prominent lawyer Jonathan Samkange was arrested late Monday night for allegedly misrepresenting facts in a case involving his client, the alleged British mercenary Simon Mann. In a separate development 10 lawyers were briefly detained in Mutare for demonstrating against the continued harassment and arrest of their colleagues.

It’s been very difficult to get the details on these arrests on Tuesday as most lawyers were busy running around chasing after arrested student leaders and the detained lawyers, while others were dealing with the MDC officials, currently in detention for the 48th day now.

However Tafadzwa Mugabe, the acting Director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said in an emailed statement that Samkange was picked up from his Avondale house close to midnight on Monday on allegations of contravening the Immigration Act. Mugabe said the state alleges he false-declared he was going to host a certain visitor of his from abroad when the person was intended to be a witness in the Mann extradition hearing. At the time of broadcast no charges had been formally laid against Samkange.

Meanwhile in Mutare the 10 lawyers were released after spending a couple of hours in detention. They were later allowed to send their petition to the Manicaland Governor, under police escort.

Observers say the government is waging a systematic campaign to remove critics so as to alter the framework of society by elections next year. Tuesday’s arrests of Samkange and the 10 lawyers in Mutare bring to 19 the number of lawyers that have been arrested this month alone.

Human rights lawyers Alex Muchadehama and Andrew Makoni were arrested on 4th May on allegations of obstructing the due course of justice arising from a bail application filed by them in the High Court. They are currently representing 32 political detainees accused of petrol bomb attacks. The opposition prisoners have been in custody for 48 days without trial.

The day after Muchadehama and Makoni were arrested the Legal Resources Foundation reported that a representative of the Attorney General Richard Chikosha, a state prosecutor, was beaten and detained overnight on 5th May for consenting to a court order.

A few days later on the 8th several lawyers were beaten, while five were briefly detained and assaulted, when police violently broke up a solidarity protest march by the legal fraternity. Five lawyers, Beatrice Mtetwa (the President of the Law Society of Zimbabwe), Chris Seddon, Chris Mhike, Terrence Fitzpatrick and Colin Kuhuni were briefly detained and taken to a place near the suburb of Eastlea where they were made to lie on the ground and thoroughly beaten before being released.

Those that were beaten during that march, were assaulted because they were ‘walking too slowly,” resulting in another prominent lawyer Mordecai Mahlangu sustaining serious injuries.

Those that were arrested in Mutare include LSZ Councillor Tinozive Bere, ZLHR Board Member Trust Maanda, Davis Tandire, Johanes Zviuya, Netsai Nyamwanza, Ashel Mutungura, Blessward Mungure, Chris Ndlovu, Ranga Mubata- Muhloro and T. Dangare.