Police interrogate NCA leader over demonstrations
By Violet Gonda
29 January 2007

The Chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly Dr Lovemore Madhuku was questioned by six high ranking police officers in Harare on Monday. This was in connection with last week’s NCA protests. The police allege that the outspoken leader had failed to seek police clearance before holding the demonstration. Several people were beaten and arrested after police used brutal force to disperse the protestors.

More than 400 people demonstrated last Thursday against plans by the Mugabe regime to postpone the presidential election from 2008 to 2010.

Madhuku said Monday’s meeting was an act of desperation by the police and he told the police leadership that his pressure group would continue to protest until there is democracy in Zimbabwe. He was released after two hours of questioning.

The NCA leader was accompanied by his lawyer Alex Muchadehama. The meeting was led by Officer Commanding Harare Province - Senior Assistant Commissioner Mugariri. Other officers who questioned him included the Officer in Charge of Law and Order, Officer in Charge of Police intelligence Unit and Officer in Charge of Administration.

He said: “They still believe we can still be naïve, so naïve as to believe that things may be changing.”

Dr Madhuku told the police officers that the police force had been politicised and that they are given directives to brutalise citizens by the regime. The police officers denied this.

According to Madhuku, the officer said the agenda was to create an opportunity for interaction between the NCA and the police force in Harare, in view of the fact that the pressure group continued to hold demonstrations which are not sanctioned by the police.

But a stalemate was reached when the NCA chairperson told them they have never been permitted and they didn’t expect the government to give them permission to demonstrate.

He said: “Our belief is that we have a right to demonstrate and we have a right to push for a new constitution and that we will continue.”