Munyaradzi Gwisai of the International Socialist Organisation (Zimbabwe) and the 5 other treason charge detainees were granted bail yesterday. The High Court judge presiding commented that the state’s case was ‘weak,’ and set bail at $2,000 each with stringent reporting conditions. They are to face trial for treason.

However, the six remain in police custody as their supporters are struggling to raise the $12,000 required to secure their release.

They are urgently appealing for funds to pay bail and allow these detainees to go home. Last night was their 26th night in police custody. Their families are suffering in the absence of their loved ones.

Contact solidarity [at] freethemnow [dot] com if you are able to contribute to the bail fundraising appeal.

Please read this press statement from Rooftop Promotions and email them a solidarity message to help keep them positive.

I hope this mail finds you well. As the “Rituals” 10 member team (8 artists, 1 driver and 1 Tour Manager), which was arrested at Nhedziwa Business Centre in Cashel Valley on 5 January 2011 and detained for two nights before being released by Mutare Magistate’s Court, is set to appear before the Mutare Magistrate’s Court on 17 March 2011 being charged with “criminal nuisance” under the Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act, we appeal to artists, cultural and civic activists to issue solidarity messages with the 10 as they stand for freedom of artistic expression.

According to filed papers, the group allegedly “intentionally and unlawfully made noise or disturbance and beating drums in a public place performing drama reminiscent of political disturbabces of June 2008 elections. The drama incited the affected members of the public to revive their differences”.

“This is clear suppression of our artistic work in promoting national  healing and reconciliation, through a play that has been seen by the  Organ on National Healing Reconciliation and Integration and has been approved by the Board of Censors, and discussing an issue (political violence) which the GPA and its principals acknowledge that it needs to be addressed. We are disturbed but not discouraged or disheartened, by this especially considering that we hold a valid censorship certificate from a board which falls under the same ministry (Home Affairs) and theatre is one of the exemptions under POSA.

This is a piece of art nominated for National Arts Merits Awards 2010 Outstanding Theatrical production which is meant to promote community driven healing and reconciliation and has opened constructive dialogue in communities in a 100 performances tour that began in mid- December last year and ended on 22 February 2011 having covered Harare, Manicaland, Midlands, Bulawayo, Matebeleland North, Mashonaland West and Central provinces” says Daves Guzha, Producer of Rooftop Promotions.

“Rituals” is written by Stephen Chifunyise after going through a research on community approaches to healing and reconciliation, directed and produced by Daves Guzha, featuring arguably Zimbabwe’s best theatre talent who include: Mandla Moyo, Zenzo Nyathi, Joyce Mpofu, Chipo Bizure, Silvanos Mudzvova and Rutendo Chigudu with music from Joshua Mwase and Norman Kamema. It is a story told in panoramic fashion chronicling how community initiated cultural solutions meet with serious challenges which either prevent their conclusive enactment or achievement of the desired results.

The cast stood for their artistic freedom and freedom of expression and now its time for us to stand with them by sending your solidarity messages rooftop [at] zol [dot] co [dot] zw or posting them on our facebook account: Rooftop Zimbabwe Group or on Twitter:- rooftopTITP or website:- www.rooftoppromotions.org

In this important statement below, WOZA makes several good points including the need for Zimbabwe to have a professional and non-partisan police force. And watch their Valentines Day footage on YouTube (see the link at the end of the statement):

Persecution by prosecution of Human Rights Defenders continues: Court appearances; Williams and Mahlangu avoid persecution; Release our comrades

SEVEN members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) appeared in Tredgold Magistrates Court today 16 March, they will reappear again on 23rd of March 2011. The 3 women and 4 men arrested on 28 February in two separate incidents in Entumbane and Mabutweni. Although reporting conditions were relaxed and they now only report once a week, charges were not dropped as there is resistance from the police officers.

Before they appeared in Court, the Defence lawyer Matshobana Ncube met with the provincial area prosecutor and the Attorney general’s office Mrs Cheda who indicated that they have formally requested a meeting with the District Commanding Police Officer Inspector R. Masina to obtain understanding as to the significance of the Supreme Court ruling to prevent the continued arrest of WOZA members by the police officers in defiance of the ruling. The Supreme Court ruling was obtained by WOZA leaders Jennifer Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu from a 16 October 2008 arrest and 3 week detention at Mlondolozi prison.

An update on the three women, Eneles Dube, Janet Dube and Selina Dube arrested during the 7th March protest were followed home and brought  to court to be formally charged.

On the 10th of March 2011 Lizwe Jamela of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights was advised by Bulawayo Central Police Station from Constable Runesu that District Commanding Police Officer (DISPOL)  Inspector R Masina had demanded that the three Eneles Dube and others  be formally charged. They appeared in court on 11th of March 2011 with Defence lawyer Kossam Ncube. They were charged with criminal nuisance as defined in paragraph 2[v] of the Third schedule to the Criminal Law [ Codification and Reform] Act, Chapter 9:23 as with section 46 of the said Act which basically means ‘blocking the pavement’.

They appeared before Magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa and Public Prosecutor Jeremiah Mutsindikwa, where they were remanded on free bail out of custody to the 21st of March 2011. Lawyer Kossam Ncube indicated to the court than on the 21st he will note an application of refusal of further remand.

WOZA leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu are currently on a speaking tour of the United Kingdom and United States of America. In the last month after the Valentines Day protests, Police officers launched regular visits to their homes and sent messages through members that they tortured to reveal the whereabouts of the leaders. Police officers also contacted a Human Rights lawyer, demanding he bring the leaders to Bulawayo Central Police station indicating that they ‘must prepare themselves for a long detention’. As a result of the supreme Court ruling which police are obviously ignoring, it was determined that they  of this heightened harassment and obvious ignoring of the Supreme Court ruling, Williams and Mahlangu have not voluntarily presented themselves to this persecution.

WOZA call on the all officers Zimbabwe Republic Police to professionalise and shake themselves from the choke of their political masters.  The days of reckoning will come soon and they will be faced with the guilt of their torture alone. They must not blindly follow the dictates of politicians to arrest and detain human rights defenders but should interrogate as decent human beings the letter of the law and the principle of investigate to arrest not arrest to investigate. We call on them to free all human rights defenders in custody including our Comrades Gwisai, Gumbo, Tafadzwa and others.

Please watch this rough footage of the Valentines’ Day protest that has got the state shivering http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2-PrFvmwQs

The war may have happened thirty years ago, but the scars have yet to heal.

Mass graves containing thousands of bodies suspected to have been killed during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle in the 1960s and 1970s have been discovered at a mine in Gwanda, capital of the province of Matabeleland South.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu told journalists here Tuesday the bodies were discovered at Blanket Mine.

“I was in a meeting with an official from Blanket Mine who informed me that areas they are mining have mass graves. They found the graves beneath six to 10 feet when they were blasting in a shaft.”

Mpofu said the bodies were believed to be of people massacred by Rhodesian forces during the liberation struggle.

“These bodies should have been as a result of massacres of the 1960′s,” he said.

He said exhumation of the bodies had begun.

As I watched last night’s extensive coverage about the mass grave on ZBC-TV I recalled an argument I had once with a war vet when in frustration he shouted:

“Where was your ‘human rights’ when they were bombing us at Chimoio?”

Honestly, I don’t know, and, I suspect, neither does the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation. Maybe we never had them to begin with.

The police raided the office of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on Tuesday 15 March.

“The police, who were armed with a search warrant signed by Chief Superintendent Peter Magwenzi said they were looking for anything subversive such as T-shirts, documents and fliers or anything incriminating.” (ZLHR press release)

You really have to laugh at them – there’s nothing else left to do. This incident reminded me of something I read recently. Some food for thought for civic organisations in Zimbabwe . . .

Faking it

Slobodan Miloševic, Serbia’s warmongering leader during the 1990s, was a master of manipulation in the former Yugoslavia. But, as the endgame approached, even Miloševic lost his touch.

He and his henchmen had little idea how to cope with the mischievous Otpor (“Resistance”), the student movement that proved more effective in energizing opposition to Miloševic than his political foes had ever been. Even as Otpor’s members were arrested and beaten, they mocked the authorities. As one of Otpor’s leaders pointed out later, the regime found itself in a bind. “I’m full of humour and irony and you are beating me, arresting me,” Srdja Popovic said in an interview for Steve York’s and Peter Ackerman’s documentary Bringing Down a Dictator. “That’s a game you always lose.”

In advance of elections in September 2000, the authorities became increasingly enraged at Otpor’s success. Police raided the group’s offices in the Serb capital, Belgrade, confiscating computers and campaign materials.

Otpor exacted sweet revenge. On phone lines which they knew would be tapped, they discussed how they would receive a large quantity of additional supplies of election stickers and other materials at a certain time and day. They invited news photographers to witness the delivery. Then, at the appointed hour, volunteers began unloading boxes from a truck, staggering toward the Otpor office, apparently weighed down by the weight of all the pamphlets and posters.

The waiting police triumphantly moved in to seize the boxes. As they did so, they realised that the cartons were not heavy at all, but strangely light. They were empty – as empty as the police action itself.

Orders were orders, however. The police could not stop confiscating what they had been ordered to confiscate. Under the mocking eyes of reporters and other onlookers, the police impounded a large quantity of empty cardboard boxes.

Source: Small Acts of Resistance – how courage, tenacity, and ingenuity can change the world
Authors, Steve Crawshaw and John Jackon

From the Daily Agenda, published by Bulawayo Agenda:

Residents of Bulawayo’s Mpopoma high density suburb were allegedly forced to attend a ZANU PF meeting last week. The residents were on their way to mid-week evening prayers when they met ZANU PF supporters who accused them of boycotting their party meetings but had time to go to church. They were instructed to go back home and leave their bibles and then find their way to the meeting where people were told to vote for President Mugabe whenever elections are announced because they had been given maize seed.