Mentioning this name to anyone who is an avid follower of Zimbabwean news what quickly comes to mind is human rights. With an outstanding law practice background spanning almost thirty years Beatrice stood out to be one of the most fearless women Zimbabwe has ever produced. Even her profile on wikipedia portrays a history of activism complemented with multiple awards for her work. Today she finds herself being bundled into a prison van and wearing a green prison garb similar to those worn by female prisoners in Zimbabwe. Some of the women who wore this same uniform are now free after she successfully defended their rights in the courts of law.

Caught up in her line of work while trying to defends the rights of Prime Minister’s staff during a police raid has led her to appear before a local magistrate at a lower court answering charges of obstruction of justice after a High Court order for her release was ignored. Prison time weakens some and makes other come out strong and I believe Beatrice’s incarceration will make her strong.

I used to read about Beatrice Mtetwa in the papers and my first encounter with this fearless woman was when I found myself at the notorious law and order section at Harare Central Police station. It was in the middle of a grueling and nerve breaking moment when she arrived in the company of members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights team and I could see hope and confidence coming back to the faces of my colleagues, both men and women. Even though she was not assigned to our case she managed to come in to where we were being grilled to check on us. It was a tense situation, which no man would want to be associated with at that time but Beatrice’s presence changed the tense atmosphere.

In Zimbabwe lawyers like Beatrice have managed to defend successfully the rights of the vulnerable and as the accused yesterday she had her rights fought for by fellow human rights defenders. And if you value the work she has been doing show your support by signing a petition to set her free.

If you’ve got Internet access please sign the Avaaz petition to protest human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa’s detention.

Beatrice Mtetwa remanded to 3 April

Zimbabwe’s prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has been remanded in custody to 3 April. Her incarceration is a national disgrace and an outrage.

Reuters reports: “Mtetwa was arrested on Sunday and and accused of shouting at and taking pictures of police officers who were conducting a search at the house of one of Tsvangirai’s aides.”

According to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, of which Mtetwa is a board member, her offence was simply asking the police to see their search warrant, and writing down a list of what was being taken by the police.

She has been detained along with four aides from the Prime Minister’s office.

In denying the bail application of Mtetwa and the four aides today, Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa said they would “continue to cause commotion and interfere with police investigations”.

Zimbabwe’s Education Minister David Coltart responded via Twitter: How ridiculous – where are the cartoonists out there – the diminutive Beatrice Mtetwa terrifying a bunch of huge policemen?

We have always known that some of these ridiculously pro-Zanu PF newspapers carry “letters to the Editor” written by their own staffers, yet this brazen conduct always manages to jolt us each time we come across such writing.

“A reader” was at it again this week in the Chronicle (19 March 2013) trashing Morgan Tsvangirai and Kenya’s Raila Odinga, declaring that the two “must never be allowed to rule.” I wondered what anarchist would promote such dangerous rhetoric, if not emanating from the Zimpapers scribes  themselves who we know have never shied away from treating Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister with such disrespect he is considered no different from the ordinary Jack.

“Bravo Cde Uhuru Kenyatta,” the “letter writer” wrote, obviously wishing they could shake Uhuru’s hand.

You have to ask yourself if these people actually believe their own nonsense where state media hacks cloak their identities and assume aliases as “Avid readers.”

On another note, I always say that state media journalists obviously do not read what they write and their handlers are certainly not as sharp as they always seek to present themselves.

An editorial in the Chronicle on Monday this week headed “Chinese leadership transition laudable” praised the “new crop of leaders of Chinese Communist Party”, hailing it as a sure sign of “China’s brand of democracy” at work.

The message was loud enough for any discerning reader: if the Chinese could have such a smooth transfer of power, why not Zanu PF!

Presidential Motorcade

Masi, Jamu and I
wave our hands to the President.
The windows of his limo
are tinted
and are always closed.
The motorcade travels fast
but Masi and Jamu say
the President waves back.

We wave our hands
every time the motorcade passes
in the hope it will stop
to drop a coin.

But we hear
the chauffeur does not know
the ‘Give-way’ sign
nor the ‘Stop’ sign.

© 1996, Julius Chingono

Zimbabweans all over the country continue to share their experience of voting in today’s constitutional referendum:

Never saw & taught of the constitutional contents why bothering 2 vote? Voter turnout very poor, Chivi area.

I am at Strathaven shops. Everything okay, people coming: all citizens black, yellow, brown, whites voting.

People don’t know what they are voting for but still they are going to vote becoz they were told to vote yes. It’s calm and peaceful at this side.

The voting of a new constitution in my constituency has been very overwhelming and also noted that some 16-17yr olds who wanted to vote were denied bcoz of age restrictions which really shows that today’s youth want to shape their future by actively exercising their right.

I am in Hatfield, Harare. I voted yes at Hatfield Junior School in the morning together with my wife. I have seen the levels of interest among voters. Of all people, young ladies and man, who have previously shunned local polls, were coming in numbers of unusual dimension. I also liked the long queues in Mbare when I later visited there. Great polling staff too.

Voting for the new constitution is going on very well here in Gokwe though the turnout is very low. People generally don’t know what are they voting for. The only people who are voting are the informed and the literate. No violence recorded so far.

It is not possible for the nation to vote ‘yes’ becoz at least half of the nation did not get the copy of the draft constitution therefore it is wise for the nation to vote ‘no’.

Voting @ Tokwe Primary School, Ward 11, Chivi South started on schedule @7am & by lunchtime some 300 had voted. Peace prevails with no political party activities visible on the ground.

Some people do not vote, is it ignorance or they do not know their rights?

Central Harare is unusually quiet. Most people seem to have taken this moment seriously & it’s a historic moment.

We’ve cast our votes for better change: we want better life not poverty.

What’s shocking in Masvingo West is that people a voting for something they do not know, they were simply told to vote “yes” by their respective parties and they doing just that without any knowledge of what their yes means. Voter turnout high.

People are voting in large numbers at Arcturus but 95% have never come across the Constitution including me.