The MDC has said that the arrest of party organising secretary, Amos Chibaya, is unjustified as the State has no reasonable grounds. Below is the party’s full statement.
Alert
Thursday, 22 August 2019
MDC National Organizer arrested
The MDC National Organiser Hon. Amos Chibaya has been arrested and has been charged with failing to take steps to stop demonstrations.
Hon. Chibaya was the convener of the MDC’s proposed peaceful demonstrations in four cities that were later foiled by the police after they issued four prohibition orders to stop citizens in the respective cities from exercising their democratic rights as enshrined in the supreme law of the land.
Upon hearing that the police were looking for him, the Mkoba MP handed himself over to Harare Central police at around 4pm today in the company of his lawyer, Obey Shava.
Hon. Chibaya, who is still with his lawyer, is still being quizzed by the police.
Hon. Chibaya is currently on bail on yet another trumped up charge of subversion emanating from the January 2019 disturbances and for which he has been slapped with reporting conditions.
His arrest is testimony of the closure of democratic space in Zimbabwe. In fact, the country is under a de facto state of emergency, judging by the abductions, torture and arrests of innocent Zimbabweans in the past few days.
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National spokesperson
Movement for Democratic Change