Chaos in Chitungwiza as police crush youth rally and arrest 5 leaders

By Lance Guma
18 April 2007

A planned rally by the Zimbabwe Youth Movement (ZYM) in Chitungwiza received unwanted attention from the police who sealed off Huruyadzo Shopping Centre and beat up everyone suspected of involvement in the rally. Over 5 youth leaders were arrested, including the president Collin Chibango, Vice president Sunduza Ndlovu, Information Secretary Garikai Kajau, national organising secretary Hentchel Mavuma and Wellington Mahohoma the treasurer. A spokesman for the group told us police began beating up people at a nearby bar without provocation and everything went out of control from there on.

According to ZINASU president Promise Mkwananzi police details deployed were armed with AK-47 rifles, accompanied by police dogs and indiscriminately fired teargas canisters at the shopping centre. It was not immediately known which police station the youths have been taken to. On Tuesday the police told the youths the rally would not be sanctioned but the youths urged defiance saying confrontation was now the only route left for Zimbabweans. ZYM groups together former student leaders and youths from different political parties. The group says it wants to make sure youths play a prominent role in the political process.

Meanwhile in London over 300 activists took part in a demonstration condemning Mugabe’s crackdown on the opposition. According to Jaison Matewu the MDC UK Organising Secretary, the protesters marched on the Zimbabwean Embassy and the office of the British Prime Minister in Downing Street, before going to the parliament building in Westminster. They presented a petition to Labour MP Kate Hoey who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Zimbabwe. The petition to the British asked them to put pressure on African leaders and use their influence to solve the country’s crisis. Matewu expressed satisfaction with the attendance saying it was pretty good for a midweek demonstration.