Govt vows to crush protests as police arrest 18 activists in clampdown ahead of SADC summit

By Agencies and Own Correspondent

HARARE: Police have arrested 18 political activists and hauled some of them off a plane, their lawyers said Thursday, in the latest clampdown by the government after warning it would crush opposition protests ahead of its hosting of a meeting of the southern African heads of state this month.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights group said it was representing the activists, who were detained on Wednesday.

Home affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe addressed a press conference Thursday where he vowed any protests aimed at disrupting the August 17 SADC summit would be “met with befitting responses”.

“It is clear that the organisers (of the protests) seek to provoke a heavy-handed response from the Government which they assume will attract global attention and put Zimbabwe on the spotlight,” he said.

“We have been through such episodes before and are prepared for the same. We will go after those pushing for lawlessness, and allow the law to take its course. This country has adequate laws to deal with those bent on lawlessness”.

“The attempts at rendering the country ungovernable will be met with befitting responses. Let those seeking to create an atmosphere of despondency among peace-loving citizens be warned that such antics will not be tolerated”.

Among the activists arrested is Namatai Kwekweza, a 25-year-old pro-democracy campaigner and the inaugural winner of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize in 2023. The prize is awarded by the late United Nations secretary-general’s foundation to young people committed to the principles of democracy.

Amnesty International has condemned the arrests, while Annan’s foundation said it was “deeply concerned” by the incident.

Kwekweza and three other activists were removed from a plane on the tarmac of the Robert Mugabe International Airport in the capital, Harare. Another 14 activists were arrested the same day for holding a protest in another town.

The four taken off the plane are being charged with disorderly conduct for being part of a courthouse protest in late June demanding the release of 77 opposition party members who have been in pre-trial detention for over six weeks.

Meanwhile Kazembe claimed that opposition activists have been holding “secret” meetings in and outside the country to plan protests during the SADC summit.

“The Security Cluster is aware of secret meetings being held locally and outside the country by those seeking to unleash civil disobedience,” he said.

“We already know the personalities and the institutions that they front. We are also aware of those giving them logistical and financial support.

“We have also established their modus operandi which includes hiring taxis to ferry demonstrators.”

The minister added; “We will go after those pushing for lawlessness, and allow the law to take its course. This country has adequate laws to deal with those bent on lawlessness.

“Adequate measures have been put in place to account for and rein in anybody seeking to disturb peace for whatever reason, including the misguided view that only them and their leader should lead the Government.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over from autocrat Robert Mugabe in a coup in 2017, has been accused of cracking down on political opposition in a similar way to Mugabe, who had led the country for 37 years since independence.