Dozens beaten, some arrested after Zimbabwe opposition leader denied bail

Zimbabwean police beat dozens of opposition supporters and arrested several outside a court in the capital, Harare, on Thursday, after Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party members were denied bail after their arrests two weeks ago.

A Harare magistrate denied bail to the party’s interim leader, Jameson Timba, and 78 activists arrested on June 16 for holding a political gathering which authorities said was unauthorised. They were charged with disorderly conduct and holding an illegal gathering. Under Zimbabwean laws, licences are needed for political gatherings.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has targeted opposition leaders often since the 2023 general election. Mnangagwa won with 52.6% of the vote in an election widely disputed by the opposition and declared not free and fair by a Southern African Development Community team sent to monitor the election. His nearest rival, Nelson Chamisa, got 44%. 

Timba is a former minister of state in the office of the prime minister and a former deputy minister of media, information & publicity during the ill-fated government of national unity formed in 2009. It included then president Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The CCC was formerly known as the MDC. Timba took over as interim leader after Chamisa quit the party in January, alleging it had been hijacked by Zanu-PF.

Police antiriot units guarded the court entrance, and the arrests were made hours after Mnangagwa said that those suspected to be causing trouble would “be dealt with”.

A Reuters reporter saw the arrest of one woman holding a placard demanding the release of the activists. Others were bundled into police trucks or fled baton-wielding police.

The activists were denied bail on concern that they would cause public disturbances and interfere with prosecution witnesses, their lawyer, Agency Gumbo, told reporters outside court after the online bail hearing.

Gumbo said that his team would appeal against the decision in the high court.

“We don’t believe there are any compelling reasons to deny the accused persons bail.”

With Staff Writer

Reuters