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Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chinn’ono told police officers who had come to arrest him on the 20th of July this year that the state was persecuting him for fighting corruption which had caused untold suffering to the general populace. Chinn’ono was arrested and charged with incitement of public violence after urging the masses to participate in the foiled 31 July anti-corruption protests. Watch the video below for more.
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<video class="wp-video-shortcode" controls="controls" height="360" id="video-184672-1" preload="metadata" width="640"><source src="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HOPEWELL-CHINONO-MOMENTS-BEFORE-ARREST.mp4?_=1" type="video/mp4"/><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HOPEWELL-CHINONO-MOMENTS-BEFORE-ARREST.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HOPEWELL-CHINONO-MOMENTS-BEFORE-ARREST.mp4</a></video></div>

Pindula News

WATCH: Chin'onno Tells Police He's Fighting For All Citizens

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The state arguing for the detention of former ZANU PF Youth League political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu said he was safe in custody saying his security after he had claimed that unidentified men were always following him.
Tsenengamu who appeared before the courts this Saturday facing charges of inciting public violence allegedly made the remarks during police interviews.
He surrendered himself to the police after three months on the run. The incitement of public violence charges were levelled against him and many others after they rallied the citizenry to participate in foiled 31 July anti-corruption protests.
The State represented by prosecutors Lancelot Mutsokoti and Desire Chidanhire opposed the granting of bail to Tsengengamu saying he was a flight risk.
Tsenengamu’s lawyer Harrison Nkomo told the court that Tsenengamu who is married, has four children and was never convicted before is a good candidate for bail.
Nkomo also argued that his client would not leave the country since borders were closed due to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The state, however, implored the court to consider the case of State vs Ndlovu HC 75/2007 where the court heard that our country’s borders were porous that one can almost move in and out of the country without detection.
The prosecutors argued, therefore, that the COVID-19 restrictions are not sufficient to stop Tsenengamu from leaving the country and neither are his submissions to hand over his travel documents since they are not required at unrecognised border points
They also called to the witness stand, Detective Assistant inspector Clifford Mugaviri who argued for Tsenengamu’s continued detention saying he was likely to abscond since he is facing a serious offence.
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<div class="js-card-container">The state also argued that the very fact that Tsenengamu approached a police station to make reports of unknown persons who were following him around suggest that he accepts:</div>
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<blockquote>1. That those persons following him around are not state players
2. The police could offer him the security which he required and therefore protect him.</blockquote>
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<div>He was remanded in custody to the 12th of this month.</div>
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Tsenengamu Will Be Safe In Jail Than Outside - State

<blockquote>SIKHALA MAKES FREEDOM BID AT HIGH COURT
ZENGEZA West constituency legislator Hon. Job Sikhala has asked the High Court to end his incarceration by releasing him on bail after he was arrested and detained in August for allegedly inciting people to commit public violence through participating in anti-government protests aimed at registering concern over mismanagement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Hon. Sikhala petitioned the High Court on Friday 4 September 2020 appealing against the decision of Harare Magistrate Lazini Ncube, who denied him bail on Thursday 3 September 2020 on the basis that he was not a good candidate to be set free before the commencement of his trial as he allegedly went into hiding for sometime before he was arrested.
In his bail appeal filed by Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Hon. Sikhala argued that Magistrate Ncube seriously erred and misdirected himself when he denied him bail and his ruling should be set aside.
The opposition legislator has asked the High Court to release him on bail on conditions which include depositing RTGS$15 000 bail and being ordered to continue residing at his given residential address.
Hon. Sikhala’s bail appeal will be heard on Friday 11 September 2020 after the High Court ordered the record of proceedings in which Magistrate Ncube denied him bail to be availed in court so as to assess the lower court’s reasoning and make a determination on the legislator’s fresh freedom bid.
Hon. Sikhala was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members in Harare, who charged him with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
ZRP officers also pressed an alternative charge against Hon. Sikhala of incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 36(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act or alternatively incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry as defined in section 187(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Prosecutors alleged that the Zengeza West constituency legislator incited people between May 2020 and 20 July 2020 to participate in public demonstrations that would cause public violence and breach of peace among people in Zimbabwe on 31 July 2020 by posting video clips with inciting messages.
Prosecutors said some of the inciting messages allegedly shared by Hon. Sikhala reads; “People of Zimbabwe l am here with my brother Jacob Ngarivhume, he is representing the citizens of Zimbabwe in the current situation in our country.
I would like to tell everybody from Zimbabwe to Limpopo, from Forbes border to Victoria Falls that on the 31st of July 2020 it is your day to speak out. We have all agreed that we cannot accept corruption in our country.
We are in total support of the actions that have been called on the 31st of July 2020. I am in arms with my brother here and we are going to make sure that on the 31st of July 2020 people of Zimbabwe will speak out”.
Hon. Sikhala is also alleged to have circulated a video clip in which he showed gratitude to some people for bringing him food and urging people both in Zimbabwe and outside the country to participate in the demonstration which was scheduled for 31 July 2020, which ZRP members suppressed and arrested several people who staged protests across the country on the day.
ENDS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: Human Rights Lawyers Statement On Sikhala's High Court Bail Application

MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson Job “Wiwa” Sikhala will on Wednesday take his bid for freedom to the High Court after a magistrate denied him bail last week.
Sikhala was arrested last month in the Harare western suburb of Tynwald North in Hollywood movie-style on allegations of inciting public violence.
In a statement on their social media channels, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) revealed that the firebrand Zengeza West MP’s bail appeal is set to be heard and determined today. The statement read:
<blockquote>We continue with efforts to secure freedom for Zengeza West MP Hon. Job Sikhala and today at High Court in Harare, our bail appeal is scheduled to be heard and determined.
Hon. Sikhala represented by [the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights] has been detained at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison since he was arrested in August on charges of inciting people to commit public violence through staging protests.</blockquote>
Sikhala was denied bail by Harare Magistrate Lazini Ncube last Thursday.
Magistrate Ncube remanded Sikhala in custody to 17 September for routine remand.
Sikhala is being represented by Advocate Eric Matinenga, Jeremiah Bhamu and Harrison Nkomo.

High Court To Hear Sikhala's Bail Appeal

Defiant #31July protest organiser Jacob Ngarivhume said that during his incarceration at Harare Remand Prison alongside freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, kind prison guards told them that had become household names and this greatly encouraged them.
Ngarivhume and Chin’ono were arrested on July 20 and charged with inciting public violence. In total, the duo spent 43 days in detention, including at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
The Transform Zimbabwe leader further revealed that inmates who were awaiting trial for murder were actually their heroes as they looked after their buckets of food and also would warn them when Military Intelligence people were thrown into their cells to monitor them. He said:
<blockquote>I lived in a cell where at one point, Emmerson Mnangagwa (President) lived in, where Matemadanda (war veterans deputy minister) lived in (signatures imparted in the walls).
What encouraged us most was the solidarity we got from Zimbabweans.
We could be told by the guards that people are talking about you guys, you are becoming household names, a lot is being said about you.
So that really encouraged us during this senseless imprisonment.
Lawyers could tell us ‘don’t take any food, do not be seen by any doctor from prison. It was just they don’t, don’t and how do you do live like that!
This is the time we realised that our lives were at the hands of the oppressor and you could feel his power.
At remand prison, they placed us at the D Section, so we were staying with people who were going for trial for murder, armed robbery and rape charges.
70 % of those we were staying with were on murder, they could chat freely on how they murdered people, how they killed.
Within prison walls, they don’t hide how the committed the crimes so that they get assisted.
But again, these are the people who literally saved us, these are the young men who looked well after our buckets of food.
They would warn us when Military Intelligence people were thrown into our cells to monitor us, at one time, four of them were deployed and the guys warned us.
And the security of the prison would also warn us that ‘there are people that have been deployed to monitor you’ and we could put up with them. It was so scary.
They would really try to break your spirit, but we held on hugely by our conviction and also, of course, your prayers.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/ngarivhume-speaks-on-jail-nightmare-says-chamisa-prison-visit-brought-more-woes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

Hardcore Criminals Kept Me 'Safe' In Prison - Ngarivhume

Police on Thursday told a Harare magistrate that opposition MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala was found hiding in the ceiling of a house in Tynwald North after evading police for over six weeks.
Lead investigator Collen Makore told the court that police raided Sikhala and his colleagues’ hideout armed with assault rifles after receiving reports that the accused had machetes and were manufacturing petrol bombs at the property. Makore said:
<blockquote>While inside, we searched and found nothing and as we were going out we saw footprints on the wall and a panel removed from the ceiling.
We then asked who it was, threatening to throw a smoke canister and the person said he was coming down. We realised that it was Sikhala and we greeted each other.</blockquote>
The State requested the court to deny Sikhala bail, arguing that it would be risky to release him and he could even flee the country because he had pending cases at St Mary’s Police Station, among other issues.
Sikhala is being held at the Chikurubi Maximum Prison under stringent conditions.
The bail hearing continues today before magistrate Lazini Ncube.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/08/sikhala-was-hiding-in-ceiling-police/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a></h4>

Sikhala Hid In Ceiling During Police Raid

Former ZANU PF youth league political commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu said it is unfortunate that the government has resorted to crushing dissenting voices and calling them terrorists and dark forces instead of engaging them and listening to their concerns.
Speaking to the Daily News on Monday from his hideout, Tsenengamu, who now leads the anti-corruption pressure group, the Front for Economic Emancipation (FEE) said inclusive dialogue is the only sustainable way. Said Tsenengamu:
<blockquote>It is very unfortunate that authorities have decided to descend heavily on citizens for speaking out. I thought they would engage with citizens and hear out their concerns, but sadly we are being treated like terrorists.
I think the authorities must reconsider their position on dissenting voices. That is the only sustainable way to address this.
In the same way that authorities have re-engaged and engaged with the international community and the victims of the Gukurahundi disturbances in order to find common ground, they must also consider engaging with all.</blockquote>
Tsenegamu’s name was put on the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP’s) wanted list after he supported calls for anti-corruption protests on 31 July which were foiled by authorities.
President of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) Obert Masaraure, and MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala are the other notable names on the police list. Sikhala has since been flushed out from his hideout and thrown in jail.
<h4>More: <a href="https://dailynews.co.zw/protest-leaders-call-for-dialogue-as-tension-remains-palpably-high-in-zim/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daily News</a></h4>

Tsenengamu Calls For Inclusive Dialogue

Jailed Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume has been remanded in custody after his fresh bail application was thrown out by Magistrate Trynos Utahwashe this Friday.
The magistrate ruled that Ngarivhume would be a danger to the public if released on bail and that “changed circumstances are not sufficient to guarantee the safety of the public if the accused is granted bail.”
Through his lawyer Moses Nkomo, Ngarivhume had made a fresh bail application citing changed circumstances.
The 42-year-old former MDC Alliance co-principal was arrested in July and charged with inciting people to commit public violence after he allegedly called for people to participate in a demonstration on 31 July.
Ngarivhume has been remanded in custody to September 4.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/just-in-ngarivhume-fresh-bail-application-thrown-out/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ZBC News</a></h4>

Jacob Ngarivhume Denied Bail, Again

A Plumtree-based police officer who allegedly incited his colleagues to defy an order to thwart the planned July 31 protests has been granted $500 bail by Plumtree magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda.
Levias Ngwenya (36), stationed at Plumtree police camp, pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing disaffection among the police force and the defence forces.
Ngwenya, who is being represented by Bruce Masamvu of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), was also instructed not to access social media accounts, not to interfere with state witnesses and to reside at the given address until the finalisation of trial.
He will be back in court on August 28 for the commencement of trial.
Prosecutor Dorothy Kanengoni told the court that on July 8, 2020, at 3 AM and again on August 9, Ngwenya posted on his Facebook timeline inciting members of the State security not to adhere to government orders. Said Kanengoni:
<blockquote>Ngwenya posted that ‘soldiers and police don’t be fooled and brainwashed nekamari kapihwa kasinga tengi chinhu. Don’t be used by Zanu-PF government to attack your brothers and sisters in the health and teaching sectors.
The reason why mapihwa nicodemusly is for you to descend heavily on the impoverished civilians who are scheduled to stage a demonstration on July 31.
It’s a divide and rule tactic. Wake up and smell the coffee guys. Pasi nekushandiswa nemadhara asina future nesu aya.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.cite.org.zw/plumtree-cop-in-court-for-inciting-revolt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CITE</a></h4>

'Wake Up & Smell The Coffee' Plumtree Cop Granted $500 Bail

The ruling ZANU PF party has expelled two politburo members from the party on allegations of working with the organisers of the anti-corruption July 31 demonstrations which were thwarted by security forces.
The two officials are the secretary for health Cleveria Chizema and former Mbare legislator Tendai Savanhu.
The party’s Information and Publicity Acting Secretary Patrick Chinamasa confirmed the expulsions while addressing a media briefing held after Wednesday’s 343rd session of the Politburo. He said:
<blockquote>The politburo has unanimously resolved that Cleveria Chizema be fired from the party because of the seriousness of her case in which she did not deny any wrongdoing, she joins her accomplice Tinashe Mathusa, who was expelled in the previous politburo.
The politburo has warned that any element bent on or working to split our leadership and dividing the party will be treated with no leniency. Cde Tendai Savanhu was also expelled again for his association with Cleveria Chizema.
We are making these serious decisions to send a clear message that anyone who does not follow the party line does not deserve to be in our midst.</blockquote>
While several ZANU PF officials have been censored by the party for their involvement in organising the demonstrations, none of them has been arrested.
Meanwhile, freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) leader Jacob Ngarivhume are currently languishing in prison at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on similar allegations.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/politburo-chizema-savanhu-expelled-from-zanu-pf/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ZBC News</a></h4>

ZANU PF Expels Two Politburo Members Over 31 July Demos

MDC Alliance activists in Bulawayo have narrated hair-raising tales of torture at the hands of suspected State agents after they were allegedly abducted from their homes for planning the failed 31 July protests.
Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume, who was the main organiser of the anti-corruption protests, was arrested on charges of plotting to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government on the eve of the planned demonstrations and later thrown into Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
A number of political activists and journalists fled their homes when it became apparent that State agents would descend heavily upon them.
MDC Alliance spokesperson in Bulawayo, Swithren Chirowodza said four activists, Takunda Madzana (MDC Alliance youth secretary for cadre-ship development), Otillia Sibanda (a former party official), Nyasha Masundire (a youth chairman) and Michael Mubasa (a senior MDC Alliance official), were abducted and experienced gruesome torture at the hands of their captors. Said Chirowodza:
<blockquote>On July 26, 2020, between 11 pm and 12 midnight, Madzana was abducted from his Magwegwe home by suspected state security agents and later dumped after horrendous torture, which among other diabolic acts included being immersed in and out of a pool of water. They also applied electric shocks on his feet.
The suspected state security agents also took US$50 from Madzana’s house.
Sibanda was abducted from her house in Bulawayo’s Sizinda Township between 7 and 8 am on July 29, 2020.
Assailants drove a Toyota Platz and a Honda Fit. She was tortured and later dumped along Plumtree Road near Mbokodo butchery…</blockquote>
Following reports of egregious human rights violations in the country, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent three envoys to Harare to engage the government and other stakeholders.
However, the envoys were blocked from meeting opposition political parties, churches and civil society organisations, with Harare insisting that there was no crisis in the country.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2020/08/16/harrowing-tales-of-abductions-torture-of-activists-emerge/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=harrowing-tales-of-abductions-torture-of-activists-emerge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Standard</a></h4>

Abducted Activists Narrate Frightening Tales Of Torture At The Hands Of Captors

Imprisoned MDC Alliance youth organising secretary Godfrey Kurauone will appear at the Masvingo High Court for a bail hearing this Wednesday.
Kurauone was denied freedom at the magistrates’ court last week in a case where he is accused of inciting citizens to push for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ouster.
The State alleges that on June 20 this year, Kurauone, a Masvingo councillor, circulated a video song on social media urging people to revolt.
He is also accused of participating in the failed July 31 anti-corruption protests in which he allegedly blocked free movement of vehicles in Masvingo on the day.
Kurauone is denying both charges.
MDC Alliance youth spokesperson Stephen Chuma on Tuesday said Kurauone, who is incarcerated at Masvingo Remand Prison, is being denied access to proper medication and healthy food in contravention of the Prisons Act.
Chuma said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has resorted to persecuting Kurauone just as the racist Ian Smith regime used detention as a tool to silence critics.
He cited the cases of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume who are languishing at Chikurubi Maximum Prison for speaking out against corruption.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/08/d-day-for-mdc-alliance-youth-leader/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a></h4>

High Court To Rule On MDC-A Youth Leader Bail Appeal

The Zimbabwean Lives Matter social media movement, which was launched earlier this week, has attracted global attention.
The movement, according to its proponents, seeks to conscientise the world about egregious human rights violations that are allegedly being perpetrated by the Zimbabwean government against citizens. The activists said:
<blockquote>#ZimbabweanLivesMatter is a social media movement aimed at spreading awareness around Human rights violations being perpetrated by the Zimbabwean Government on its own People.
These violations include Arrests, Abduction, Torture and Rape of citizen Activists, Journalists and Opposition Party members who are speaking out against Corruption, Bad Governance, A botched response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Hardships being faced by the Masses.
The movement has since garnered support from Public Figures across the World on Social Media and is bringing much needed International media attention to the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.</blockquote>
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter started to trend on social media after the Zimbabwean government foiled protests that had been planned for 31 July across the country.
Armed security forces were deployed across the country in a show of force leading to the total shutdown of the country for four days.
Several opposition activists were arrested, some were seized and tortured while others had to flee their homes from armed gangs who were breaking doors and windows in the dead of the night.

'#ZimbabweanLivesMatter' Movement Explained

The ruling ZANU PF has not taken kindly to censure by South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Appearing on an interview with eNCA recently, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule criticised the Zimbabwean government for brutalising citizens before and after the foiled July 31 protests. Magashule said:
<blockquote>We have talked to some of the people who were exiled from Zimbabwe, who ran away from Zimbabwe, we have interacted with them, we know their story, we have heard them. What we see there on Television is uncalled for …. and that Zimbabwean Lives Matter.</blockquote>
However, in a statement on Thursday, the ZANU PF Information and Publicity Department issued out a strong-worded statement denouncing Magashule. The statement read in part:
<blockquote>We note that this is not the first time when a senior ANC leader has sought to speak like Zimbabwe’s prefect in similar fashion Cde Lindiwe Zulu’s similar utterances in 2013.</blockquote>
ZANU PF further lashed out at Magashule, saying his utterances were completely out of order.
It vehemently denied that there was any form of brutality taking place in Zimbabwe and dismissed exiled former government officials as fugitives from justice.
The Zimbabwean government has come under fire recently after several protestors were arrested for protesting peacefully while others were unfairly denied bail.
Several others have fled their homes following reports of suspected state agents moving at night and knocking down doors of known activists.

'You Are Not Our Prefect', ZANU PF Hits Back At ANC Secretary General

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has condemned the arrest of students for peacefully protesting against corruption and economic deterioration on 31 July 2020.
This comes after Tawanda Muchehiwa was taken from police custody by gunmen and brutally tortured for two days, while Panashe Sivindani was arrested for raising a placard denouncing corruption. Methembe Msipha was also arrested for moving around with a Zimbabwean flag.
In a statement, ZINASU Secretary-General Tapiwanashe Chiriga demanded an end to brutality and harassment of students. The statement read:
<blockquote>The Zimbabwe National Students Union is appalled by the continued targeted harassment of students by the military junta of Emmerson Mnangagwa.
We condemn the inhumane, cruel and satanic abduction and torture of Tawanda Muchehiwa whose only crime was PEACEFULLY exercising his Constitutional right to protest.
Tawanda’s abduction and torture sum up the character and nature of Mnangagwa’s Old Deception, whose only difference with Mugabe is lack of wit.
We condemn the senseless arrest and persecution of Panashe Sivindani, for PEACEFULLY exercising her right to protest.
We condemn the senseless and stupid persecution of Methembe Msipha, arrested for moving around with the Zimbabwean flag.
It is only an archaic dictatorship devoid of sense, out of depth and on its way to hell that feels threatened by students holding placards.
Only a government lacking the essential foundations of a social contract can fear that peaceful students can pull down its bloodstained walls.
The shrinking of civic space at such an alarming rate and the criminalization of dissent by Mnangagwa is and will be nothing more than the speeding up of his journey to political abyss together with his fellow vacuous intellectual amoebas.
The Students Union will not take lightly a regime that sees students as enemies. We want nothing less than a better, inclusive and democratic Zimbabwe with students as integral stakeholders where students concerns are addressed and academic freedoms upheld. That is not too much to ask and this is a vision we will fight for to the bitter of ends.
We demand that Emerson Mnangagwa and his merchants of terror stop harassing citizens in general and students in particular if they do not want us on their list of enemies.</blockquote>

ZINASU Condemns Arrest Of Students For Demonstrating Peacefully

Former MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu believes that the 31 July anti-government protests failed because the leaders weren’t focused and strategic.
Gutu observed that the organisers shot themselves in the foot when they announced that their intention was to dethrone the incumbent government and replace it with a National Transitional Authority (NTA).
No government on earth will fold its arms and allow and allow protestors to plot its downfall, Gutu argued. He said:
<blockquote>Fundamentally, it (Friday’s mass action) lacked thought leadership. There was neither focus nor strategy.
At one point, the organisers told the nation that it was an anti-corruption demonstration, whilst on the other hand, the same organisers pronounced that the demonstration was targeted at felling the Zanu PF government.
… Naturally, the government became extremely agitated when the organisers publicly proclaimed that the demonstration essentially was targeted at overthrowing the government and ushering in a so-called National Transitional Authority.
In all fairness, no serious government under the sun would stand aside, watch and fold its arms while some people publicly declare that they are going to demonstrate in order to overthrow them.</blockquote>
Jacob Ngarivhume, the main organiser of the protests was arrested nearly two weeks ago on allegations of inciting public violence.
Several political activists went into hibernation, fearful of State retaliation, for allegedly planning the protests. The government said the planned demonstrations were an insurrection and the organisers “terrorists”.
<h4>More: <a href="https://dailynews.co.zw/opposition-sabotaged-itself-on-failed-protests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daily News</a></h4>

No Focus, No Strategy, July 31 Protests Were Bound To Fail - Gutu

Suspected state security agents raided the house of MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial youth secretary-general Pashor Sibanda in the wee hours of Sunday.
Speaking to CITE, Sibanda said heavily armed men broke into his house, rounded up his family and demanded to know his whereabouts. He said:
<blockquote>At around 1 am, suspected state security agents raided my house in Cowdray Park. They gained entry through destroying locks at the gate and breaking windows using a gun.
They stormed into the house and threatened my family at gunpoint to tell them of my whereabouts.
My mum had to scream “amasela” (thieves) to alert neighbours and that’s when the attackers ran away and jumped over the precast wall. My mother was with my father and two siblings.</blockquote>
There have been numerous reports of abductions just before, and after July 31, with 22-year-old Tawanda Muchehiwa abducted and tortured during two days of captivity before he was dumped in the dead of the night.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.cite.org.zw/mdc-alliance-byo-youth-leaders-home-raided/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CITE</a></h4>

Gunmen Raid MDC-A Bulawayo Youth Leader's Home

A senior official in the opposition MDC-T Tapiwa Mashakada has castigated social media activists who called for anti-government protests on Friday, 31 July 2020, saying they lack courage.
Writing on social media in the aftermath of the demonstration, Mashakada said only Tendai Biti and Job Sikhala are brave enough to lead from the front, the rest are cowards who “the play to the international gallery”.
Rather than engaging in a risky violent confrontation with the ruling ZANU PF, the opposition should follow the path of dialogue to save the country. Wrote Mashakada:
<blockquote>The much-touted 31st July demo has failed to take off not because the people do not have a genuine cause but because of fear and lack of courageous leaders who are prepared to sacrifice their luxurious lives.
The social media activists are good for nothing but inciting other people to cannon fodder when they are hiding in safe places.
Those who are play acting the demo by holding one or two placards are just play-acting. The Zanu PF govt is entrenched and battle-hardened.
You cannot beat them in the game of violence. This is the generation of Perence Shiri who were ready to sacrifice their lives to free us from the yoke of colonial bondage. They paid the ultimate price.
Now our social media generation are far from it. Why not change tactics and strategy and try National Dialogue than pretend to be revolutionaries?
Apart from Job Sikhaka and Tendai Biti, I see a lot of cowards in the rank and file of those who chose the demonstration route.
But even then, under the COVID pandemic demos were not ideal because of public health reasons. It was ill-timed.
Meanwhile, the suffering continues while we in the opposition are experimenting with tired methods of removing the govt.
Let us try dialogue and national convergence in order to find each other. After all the politicians do not feel the pinch.
They are eating and looting across the political divide. Driving luxurious vehicles and barricaded in their suburbs wearing expensive suits.
We must not use the people to satisfy our egos. Demonstrations are being used to tick the box and play to the international gallery.
The regime remains clueless on how to run the economy but the opposition does not make the situation better by not engaging the rulers like what Tsvangirai did.
Dialogue must be tried and given a chance otherwise we are all contributing to the burning of the house. The tweeter activists are hiding and hoping that innocent poor can come out to confront the regime.
Tapiwa Mashakada is an official of the Movement for Democratic Change Tsvangirai (MDC-T)</blockquote>

'Apart From Biti & Sikhala, The Rest Are Spineless Cowards', Mashakada Prefers Dialogue Over Confrontation

Political commentators have blamed divisions within Zimbabwe’s opposition for the failed 31 July anti-government protests.
Renowned political analyst, University of Zimbabwe (UZ) political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, opined that divisions and lack of a strategy have hamstrung the opposition. He said:
<blockquote>The problem is that our opposition parties are hopelessly divided. They need to go back and re-strategise, and also speak with one voice. They have to reconfigure.
Zanu PF has not changed and … is still using the same tools that it always deploys, and the opposition parties are also using the same strategies.
The planning was poor … and the demonstration was announced nearly a month ago, thus giving authorities ample time to prepare. This enabled the authorities to continue with their repression.
Unfortunately, Friday’s events only work to embolden the authorities and to give them more confidence.
The opposition parties are speaking with different voices and are not united. So, it will be difficult for them to confront the government.</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Professor of World Politics at the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Stephen Chan, said there is enough suffering in Zimbabwe already and it was better that people were not put at risk of brutality.
The organisers of the 31 July protests initially said they intended to demonstrate against alleged rampant corruption in government circles, but they ended up demanding the collapse of the ZANU PF-led government.
<h4>More: <a href="https://dailynews.co.zw/opposition-sabotaged-itself-on-failed-protests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daily News</a></h4>

Lack Of Strategy, Divisions Blamed For Failed July 31 Protests

<blockquote>Before we set out, I made a telephone call to my trusted long-time mentor, friend and lawyer – David Drury. I told him that we were about to go on a peaceful walking protest in the neighbourhood.
I told him we had taken every precaution in the book to ensure we were compliant with the law. We wore face masks.
We were walking within the permitted radius. We carried sanitizer. We were going to respect social distancing. There were 7 of us. Our actions were peaceful.
We had written placards that read “No Violence,” “I am protesting peacefully,” Babies’ Lives Matter,” “COVID Kills, So does corruption,” “FreeZimbabwe,” “I have a dream,” and “EndHunger”.
When we were making these placards, we joked that each placard represented each person’s little prayer or wish for Zimbabwe.
It was a gloriously sunny, blue-skied day but the air was thick and ominous. We had been online and seen that the army and riot police had barricaded all entry roads to the central business district.
I had been advised earlier by phone that a case that I am acting in had been postponed because the magistrate had failed to get to Rotten Row from out of town.
I had been turned back at Churchill Ave while trying to get to work myself. “No problem, Fadzayi. Don’t hesitate to call,” David Drury said. “I promise we will stay safe,” I replied.
Moments, after we left the house, a vehicle without a number plate, was following us and taking pictures. We continued walking.
Courage does not mean you’re not afraid. It means that you face your fears and choose to act in spite of them. What sort of society criminalizes a placard written “Save the Babies?”
Who does not know that just a week earlier, 7 out of 8 newborn babies had died at Harare Hospital because nurses and doctors are striking against their deplorable working conditions?
In 2020, those levels of infant mortality cannot be accepted as normal. A day earlier, I had turned 35. I was born at the hospital where the babies died.
I had suffered from foetal distress. Had there been no healthcare workers, I would be a statistic like those babies. Those babies lost their lives because of our failed healthcare system.
We continued walking. As we walked down the road, people stared at us in shock. As we passed a vendors’ flower market, everybody stopped talking. Some looked to the side. One could slice through the thick fog of fear with a knife.
Several threats had been made earlier in the week by the state and “ruling party”. Anybody who dared to participate in the protest on 31 July would be severely dealt with.
As a believer in the Constitution, it remained more important to me that the Constitution is supreme. It guarantees the right to peaceful protest.
How could the government-run roughshod over that? Why was the State at war with citizens making peaceful demands for a better life?
What is freedom if you cannot ask, speak or act? I had haggled over these questions practically and philosophically for weeks as the number of abductions, arbitrary arrests and assaults on journalistic freedom had escalated.
Nobody wants to live in a police state.
We continued up the main road, peaceful and socially-distanced. We continued chatting. The conversation was rambly and stilted, mostly because we were now conscious that we were being tailed by a car full of people in a strange car but in plain clothes.
Sensing danger, we managed to get a lift into a car where we established for certain that we were being followed. For what reason? We had not done anything wrong. We had not committed a crime.
Firm in the conviction that we were innocent and had nothing to hide or run away from, we went to a coffee shop at a shopping centre. They followed us there too.
We observed from a distance that the persons in plainclothes were now changing into police uniforms. We telephoned David Drury who arrived with Emma Drury.
As they arrived, riot police had flooded the shopping centre, armed with AK rifles. This scene was unfamiliar in this part of town. We remained seated until they started pointing at me “uyo, uyo.”
They charged at us. I asked why and what the charge could possibly be if we were under any sort of arrest. “Inciting public violence!” the officer yelled as another leapt over the barricaded entrance to the coffee shop.
“What are you doing? This is ridiculous. Why do you find it necessary to jump over the entrance?” Mr Drury asked the police in an attempt to de-escalate their disproportionate advance towards us. “We want to see the placards in your car.”
The placard at the top when they inspected the car was the one that read, “No Violence” followed by the one that said, “I am protesting peacefully.”
Of course, they bundled all 7 of us up into the back of a police truck and charged us with inciting public violence anyway.
We lay and sat on top of each other as we drove through a menacingly silent CBD to the Harare Central Police Station. When it comes to enforcing repression, all semblance of wanting to respect COVID-19 is thrown out the window.
At the police station, the inefficiency, underfunding and undignified state of the justice system was again laid bare. We were asked our ID numbers so many times that I ended up drawing a blank.
The interrogation methods are outdated. The Constitution is not paid regard to in the slightest and our police officers did not have a copy of the Criminal Code.
We were blessed to be surrounded by a team of competent lawyers who did everything in their power to defend our rights.
In my individual police interview, one of the questions struck at my core. “Did you not think that because of the position you hold and party you belong to, people would be incited to join your so-called peaceful protest and become violent.?”
Looking at Mr Drury, half in shock, half in anger, I said, “I did not know that my constitutional rights are suspended due to my political affiliation. I thought that as a citizen of Zimbabwe, I had the same rights as everyone else.”
At the police station, we met Tsitsi Dangarembwa, Julie Barnes and other protesters had been arrested for protesting peacefully – most had been holding up placards in their neighbourhood with peaceful demands.
Tsitsi and Julie also narrated an ordeal of having been tailed and photographed before their arrest. At the holding cells, we also saw Terrence and Loveridge who had been abducted, beaten and tortured.
They had bleeding head injuries and were dazed. Their clothes were soiled in dirt. They said they had been blindfolded, told they were at Lake Chivero and threatened.
Their abductors kept saying they were going to feed them to the crocodiles. The condition of the State, afraid and at war with citizens making legitimate demands were indeed a Nervous one.
As night fell, we were taken upstairs to our cells. There was no water, just an overflowing pit latrine. There were puddles of urine everywhere. There was no sanitizer and no soap.
One of the women among us was on her period. Bloody hell. At first, we looked at the pile of dirty blankets and figured we could not use them because they were so dirty.
By the end of the night, we had used every blanket in sight and huddled up very close to each other as the cold coursed through our veins.
After what felt like a Millenium, morning came. Further inefficiency, confusion and slowness of the wheels of justice meant that we only got to court after lunchtime.
We were granted bail with the strange condition that we had to hand in our passports. My little brother Simon Drury was taken to remand prison because they say his passport has expired and was therefore not competent fulfilment of his bail conditions. On hearing this, I wanted to scream. The ridiculousness, the injustice and the madness know no end.
Freedom?
For as long as we have to remain silent with no rights and remedies in the face of grave injustice, I assure you, we are not yet free.
A free society is my wish for Zimbabwe. Anything less than that is an existence I will not enjoy being a part of. They must Free Hopewell and they must Free Jacob. Tawanda Muchehiwa must be delivered back to his family in one piece.
What society is this where people cannot be free?
When things like this happen, the best of the Zimbabwean spirit is also placed on full display. Thank you to my beloved parents, Stephen and Winfrida.
They want someone to be speaking out but they do not want it to be their daughter. It is normal for us to feel this way. It is sometimes the cost of freedom.
Thank you to my siblings for their eternal support. Thank you Tafi for coming to court and praying. Thank you, Tawi for the calls. Thank you, Mudiwa for being my second brain and being the queen logistician during the crisis.
Thank you, Lenon, for getting me pain and headache meds and showing up. Thank you to Emma Drury for showing up this and every time and taking charge.
Thank you for standing up to that police officer who nearly manhandled you to get my phone. Thank you, Vikki Drury, for being a second mum and breakfast maker.
Thank you, Dr Gede, for attending to us medically and to my beloved friends Cheryl and Zam. Thank you, Rebekah, for the warm clothes and care pack.
Thank you Namatai for the food at the police station. Thank you to my work colleagues David and Fran for showing up.
Thank you to our amazing legal team – Chris, Paida, Alec and Andrea. Thank you to MDC Alliance officials including Tendai Biti and Miriam Mushayi for showing up at court for solidarity.
Thank you to Ibbo Mandaza for showing up. Thank you to everyone for the support online and offline. I am so grateful.
To Nyasha, Tino, Jess, Jossee, Simon and Tinashe – I am so proud to know you and call you my friends. One day, we will look back on this with a deeper understanding of why things worked out the way they did, for better and for worse.
At a personal level, I am on a journey that some may not understand. That’s okay. My aspiration is that we live in a nation where there are freedom, fairness and opportunity for all.
The journey is going to be long and often arduous. However, we must never stop fighting to win Zimbabwe for change.
I will never stop imagining that Zimbabwe can be better than it is now. Save the babies – the unborn ones who deserve a brighter future than the crisis-filled nation that is being served to us currently.
#FreeZimbabwe #FreeHopewell #FreeJacob #FreeSimon
Advocate Fadzayi Mahere is the National Secretary for Information for the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-A)</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: Fadzayi Mahere Writes On Arrest Ordeal On July 31

<blockquote>IN THE MATTER OF THE STATE
VERSUS
PANASHE VONGAI SIVINDANI (Hereinafter called the accused)
1. The complainant, in this case, is the State.
2. The accused resides at number 204 Block A National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo and is a third-year student at the aforementioned University.
3. On the 31st of July 2020 at around 1300hours information was received from an anonymous caller to the effect that an unknown demonstrator entered TM Supermarket, Ascot Shopping Centre, Bulawayo to do her shopping and whilst inside the supermarket, the demonstrator displayed a placard inscribed #No to corruption, #Free Hopewell, #No to nepotism, #No commissioned law enforcement and justice system and #we want accountability,
4. The police carried out some investigations and went to TM Supermarket, Ascot Shopping Centre, Bulawayo where the manager played a CCTV footage which showed the accused removing the placard from her bag, wearing it and then went on to carry out her shopping displaying the above message. After paying for a water bottle, accused removed the placard and placed it in her bag.
5. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the accused and the demonstration the material was not recovered.
6. The State can produce the CCTV footage as an EXHIBIT.
7. The accused person had no right to act in the manner she did.
</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: Charge Sheet For #31July NUST Student

An MDC Alliance parliamentarian, Settlement Chikwinya, has said he escaped from his home after vehicles carrying police and soldiers in uniform paid him a visit late on Saturday.
Chikwinya resides in Fitchlea, Kwekwe, and represents Mbizo Constituency in the National Assembly.
Prominent human rights activist Dewa Mavhinga confirmed the incident, saying that Chikwinya’s house had been besieged by security forces. He posted on Twitter:
<blockquote>MDC-A MP Settlement Chikwinya has sent out an SOS that more than 7 vehicles are at his gate. Police and soldiers in uniform. He is asking for help.</blockquote>
The MDC Alliance, which is the largest opposition party in Zimbabwe, has issued a statement condemning the arrest of its members and demanding an end to the intimidation. The statement <a href="https://twitter.com/mdczimbabwe/status/1289793599366815744?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">read</a>:
<blockquote>The party continues to receive reports of illegal visits at homes belonging to MDC Alliance leaders and members particularly in Kwekwe and Bulawayo.
Soldiers and Police officers brutalising people for no reason. We demand an end to these violations and provocation.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="http://www.midlandsnews.co.zw/2020/08/02/breaking-mdc-alliance-mbizo-mp-chikwinya-flees-arrest-at-his-home-in-kwekwe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Midlands News</a></h4>

Mbizo MP Escapes Arrest At His Home In Kwekwe

MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has narrated her arrest ordeal by police officers during a peaceful protest at Groombridge, Harare, on Friday, 31 July 2020.
Mahere said she was part of a group of seven citizens who embarked on a peaceful walking protest in their neighbourhood, within the 5km radius permitted under the lockdown regulations.
She said as they proceeded with their walk, just moments after they left the house, a vehicle without a number plate was following them and taking pictures.
Now certain that they were been followed Mahere said they managed to get a lift into a car and went to a coffee shop where they were arrested by their stalkers who were at that point wearing police uniforms.
At Harare Central Police Station, the police officers did not pay regard to the Constitution in the slightest and the officers didn’t even have a copy of the Criminal Code. Writing on her Facebook page, Mahere said:
<blockquote>As night fell, we were taken upstairs to our cells. There was no water, just an overflowing pit latrine. There were puddles of urine everywhere. There was no sanitizer and no soap. One of the women among us was on her period. Bloody hell.
At first, we looked at the pile of dirty blankets and figured we could not use them because they were so dirty. By the end of the night, we had used every blanket in sight and huddled up very close to each other as the cold coursed through our veins.</blockquote>
Mahere has, however, vowed not to stop protesting until a better Zimbabwe is born. She, alongside the other protestors, was on Saturday granted $5 000 bail each by a magistrate and ordered to surrender their passports.

'I Won't Stop Protesting', Fadzayi Mahere Narrates Arrest Ordeal

While government officials have dismissed the planned July 31 protests as a damp squib, because people generally stayed indoors, some political commentators believe the events of the day brought negative attention to Zimbabwe.
United Kingdom-based constitutional law expert Alex Magaisa contends that by staying way, the masses made an important expression of discontent towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
July 31, 2020, effectively became a national shutdown imposed by the government as security forces were deployed heavily in major cities and townships, with shops and businesses closed particularly in Harare and Bulawayo.
In his latest Big Saturday Read, Magaisa argues that it is clear that people are fed up and the regime is scared of the people. Writes Magaisa:
<blockquote>… even without the mass demonstrations that people would have wanted, July 31 has been an important expression of discontent towards the Mnangagwa regime. It turned into one large stay-away enforced by the regime.
The purpose of any demonstration is to send a message and in that regard, July 31 has been an important expression by the people and by the government to its people. The people are fed up and the regime is scared of the people.
This is a regime that no longer enjoys public consent. Instead, it relies ever more on coercion. It has, as it has done twice before, had to resort to the boys in military fatigues to forcefully enforce its power. This is because it can no longer rely on people’s consent.
A government based on consent relies on obedience and compliance by the people. It does not make military force the default instrument to enforce its authority. Mnangagwa cannot even trust the regular police service. Instead, he has to depend on the soldiers.
… The essential question on 31 July was who between the government and the organisers would blink first. The government panicked and blinked first, and in the process, it betrayed its fears and insecurities.
The government cannot permanently rely on coercion. It is expensive and tiring. There will come a point when fatigue catches up with the agents of coercion.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.bigsr.co.uk/single-post/2020/08/01/Big-Saturday-Read-July-31---The-day-regime-blinked-first" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Big Saturday Read</a></h4>

Magaisa: 31 July Proved That Citizens Are Fed Up With The Regime

World-acclaimed author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga, MDC Alliance national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere and five other protestors were granted a $5 000 bail each by a Harare magistrate on Saturday.
Dangarembga, Mahere, Simon Drury, Tinashe Murapatsa, Nyasha Musendu, Josee Lots, Jessica Drury, Julie Barnes and Tinotenda Muswe appeared before Magistrate Ngoni Nduna.
They were facing two charges of participating in a public gathering with intent to promote public violence, and contravening the Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) Act for participating in peaceful protests on Friday, 31 July 2020.
The seven were arrested separately in Avondale, Groombridge, and Borrowdale. The charge sheet read:
<blockquote>The accused persons were seen demonstrating and placards were recovered. There are witnesses who will testify and give evidence to the effect that accused not having been exempted to carry out any movement within the national lockdown period, did so.</blockquote>
The accused were represented by Alec Muchadehama, Chris Mhike, and Paidamoyo Saurombe.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) in Bulawayo has secured the release of Panashe Vongai Sivindani on $2 000 bail.
Sivindani, who is a third-year student at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), was arrested on Friday for staging a lone anti-corruption demonstration at a TM supermarket. She has also has been ordered to report to police once a week.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/31july-protesters-fadzayi-mahere-tsitsi-dangarembga-granted-bail/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

Mahere, Dangarembga, 7 Others Granted $5 000 Bail Each

The worldwide association of writers under the banner PEN centres, from several African countries, has called for the immediate release of Zimbabwean author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga.
Dangarembga, the author of Nervous Conditions, was arrested in Harare on Friday while she participated in a peaceful demonstration against corruption and economic mismanagement by Zimbabwean authorities.
In a statement in solidarity with Dangarembga and award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who was arrested last week on trumped charges of inciting public violence, African PEN centres characterised the arrests as illegal and demanded their release from detention. The statement read:
<blockquote>PEN centres across Africa are greatly concerned by the arrest and imprisonment of Tsitsi Dangarembga.
Dangaremba is an accomplished filmmaker and the author of Nervous Conditions, which many consider to be a modern classic. Her most recent book, This Mournable Body, was recently long-listed for the Booker Prize.
Dangarembga was peacefully protesting corruption on Friday when police took her in without stating the charge. She is being held at the Borrowdale police station, where she spent the night.
Dangarembga joins award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono as the latest high profile writer to be detained as Zimbabwean security agencies crack down on planned anti-corruption demonstrations.
The pair are amongst dozens of people who have been detained in the last few weeks.
While the harassment of writers is of grave concern to PEN, we are equally appalled at the situation of dozens of other ordinary Zimbabweans whose voices have been silenced in recent weeks, and who have also been detained for exercising their rights to free speech and expression.
Like others around the world, we are horrified by the footage that has been circulating, of Zimbabwean police beating its citizens. We condemn the actions of an emboldened security apparatus in the strongest actions.
The human rights situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated in recent months as authorities have operated with increasing impunity under the cover of COVID-19.
Using lockdown restrictions as a pretext to violate basic rights and manage information in light of serious concerns about corruption, President Mnangagwa’s government has continued the brutal legacy of ZANU-PF under Robert Mugabe.
We demand the immediate release of Dangarembga, Chin’ono and all others arbitrarily and illegally detained by the government, and we call on SADC and the AU to urgently address the situation.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the African Charter on Human Rights and is therefore legally bound to respect human rights, including freedom of speech and protections against arbitrary arrest and detention.
As the world goes through the unprecedented health and economic crisis brought about by COVID-19, the need to respect human rights remains vitally important.
Under lockdown, the role of the writer has never been more necessary nor more easily repressed.
We stand in solidarity with our fellow African writers and citizens.
Signed,
PEN South Africa 
PEN Malawi 
PEN Nigeria 
PEN Uganda 
PEN Zimbabwe 
PEN Zambia 
PEN Afrikaans</blockquote>

African PEN Centres Demand The Immediate Release Of Dangarembga

Amnesty International has condemned Zimbabwean authorities for a brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-corruption protests and the arrest of several activists on Friday.
A number of activists and journalists suspected of being behind the planned demonstration have gone into hiding after police published a list of names of individuals who are wanted for questioning in connection with the protests.
In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa Muleya Mwananyanda said the arrest of the activists is a blatant abuse of the criminal justice system. She said:
<blockquote>The brutal assault on political activists and human rights defenders who have had the courage to call out alleged corruption and demand accountability from their government is intensifying. The persecution of these activists is a blatant abuse of the criminal justice system and the mockery of justice.
This latest witch-hunt and repression of peaceful dissent is a continuation of what we have seen in the country in recent years, including the abductions and arbitrary arrests of those who are critical of the government, in an attempt to muzzle differing views. The thwarting of the protest illustrates the Zimbabwean authorities’ total intolerance of criticism.</blockquote>
Opposition MDC-Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere, an author, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Henry Chivhanga, an activist fighting for rights of people with disabilities are among those who were arrested for protesting.
Meanwhile, police also arrested the sister of investigative journalist Mduduzi Mathuthu on 30 July and refused to release her until the journalist appeared at Bulawayo Central police station.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.zw/2020/07/amnesty-international-press-release/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a></h4>

Amnesty International Condemns Zimbabwe Govt For Crackdown On Peaceful Protests

A Masvingo resident, Henry Chivhanga, the Director of the Disability Amalgamation Community Trust was the only protestor to take to the streets in the “ancient” town, today, 31 July 2020, a <a href="http://newziana.co.zw/2020/07/31/masvingo-registers-lone-protestor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Ziana</a> report claims.
Chivhanga was arrested by police as he headed into the city centre to protest and taken to Masvingo Central Police Station for questioning.
Posting on microblogging site Twitter, later on Friday, Chivhanga explained why lone protests are important.
Below is Chivhanga’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiviCentral/status/1289251583469838336" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full thread</a>:
<blockquote>5 Lessons for the Revolution
Your voice matters more than you think! Today demonstrated how powerful one person’s voice &amp; action can be. The regime was shaken to its core by acts of courage by citizens, hence the arrests. Never underestimate the power you hold!
A revolution is not a one-day event. Today we planted the seed, now we grow it. Some may think we achieved nothing today. On the contrary, we achieved more than a gathering of 10,000 people in one place. Why? A thousand small fires will burn the forest faster than 1 big blaze!
The revolution will be won on multiple fronts – street protests, financing the struggle, social media etc. Being a ‘Keyboard warrior’ is not weakness – you demonstrated great strength by speaking out. Your tweets saved lives. Remember, tyranny thrives in silence.
This revolution is about &amp; for all of us! We can’t leave anyone behind. We need each other. We will all play different roles. Each role is key. Let’s celebrate our diversity &amp; stand together. Victory is certain!
A lot of you see no reason or are afraid to protest publicly. You are not alone, we are all scared because this regime is brutal. But today I learnt that ‘When you overcome your fear, they lose their power’. Was I scared? Absolutely! But with every step I took, I won.
What did I win? I marched today to show you that ‘Yes we can’. If I can do it, you too can. My victory today was in seeing the thousands of young people I inspired to take a stand tomorrow because, in you, the revolution is safe!
Victory is certain.</blockquote>

Masvingo 'Lone' Protestor Speaks; 'Victory Is Certain'

A young lone protestor, Panashe Sivindani, who has been missing for a few hours after taking to the streets this Friday has finally been located.
A lawyer from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) managed to locate Panashe at Khumalo Police Station in Bulawayo around 6 pm.
According to ZLHR, she is being charged with contravening Section 37 of the Criminal Code and she will appear in court tomorrow.
Meanwhile, ZLHR lawyer Obey Shava, who was arrested earlier on Friday alongside his clients, Joanna Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri has been released from police detention after the intervention of lawyer Harrison Nkomo.
Chimbiri, who was reportedly physically assaulted and molested by a soldier, was kept in detention. ZLHR said police have refused to record the complaint of an assault that was suffered by Chimbiri at the hands of the soldier.
Shava and the MDC Alliance trio were arrested near the ZANU PF headquarters on their way to Harare Central Police where they were scheduled to report as part of bail conditions.

Missing Young Female Lone Protestor Found At Police Station

MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti said citizens did the right thing by staying at home rather than going about their business this Friday, the day that was set for anti-corruption protests.
Biti asserted that by staying away, the people of Zimbabwe “outsmarted” the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which he called an “amoeba”, as the events of the day proved to the entire world that the country is being ruled by “irredeemable” idiots. Biti <a href="https://twitter.com/BitiTendai/status/1289252280902881280" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">posted</a> on Twitter:
<blockquote>The amoeba [a single-celled animal that catches food and moves about by extending fingerlike projections of protoplasm] and his regime will have another sleepless night tonight.
The citizen outsmarted the same by staying away. But the world was exposed to a crude farcical display of force and idiocy proof beyond doubt that he is irredeemable and the sooner he departs the throne the better.
The arrest and harassment of citizens is a sign of the regime’s state of derangement. We demand the immediate release of Hope, Jacob, Cecelia, Tsitsi, Farsi, Drury family members and many others victimized by this regime. We demand the immediate restoration of the constitution and rule of law.
The amoeba must know that the people will not stop or rest until he is gone. This will be a long bitter fight to the end. The way of truth will prevail. It always does. The amoeba must find an exit strategy and create a soft landing for him and his plentiful progeny. It is time!</blockquote>
Government officials have dismissed the protests as a huge failure as people chose to stay indoors rather than venture outside.
Security forces were heavily deployed across cities and towns, a development that probably scared off would-be protestors.

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