Zimbabwean protestors claim SA police assaulted and teargased them
By Tererai Karimakwenda
25 April, 2008

Protestors from the Revolutionary Youth Movement of Zimbabwe (RYMZ) in South Africa have alleged that the SA police assaulted them and used teargas as they disrupted a demonstration at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria. The group’s patron, Reverend Mufaro Hove, said about 1000 activists had participated in the protest march, and they intended to hand over a petition to Zhong Jianhua, the Chinese Ambassador to South Africa. The petition calls on China to stop all arms sales to Zimbabwe because the country is not at war.

Reverend Hove said he had visited Sunnyside Police station and was informed that 129 activists were in detention at various police stations. Among the detained is the group’s President Simon Mudekwa and their secretary general John Chikwari.

Hove said the 2 youth leaders alleged that they were assaulted by police when they were arrested. A female activist named Princess was beaten with a rifle butt. It is believed she was pregnant. Hove said the activists also alleged that police threw teargas into an enclosed vehicle that contained 30 of the arrested.

These details were confirmed by Gabriel Shumba, director of the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, who helped to organise the protest. But we were not able to reach the SA police for comment. We will keep trying.