The front page of The Herald today reads: Minister Arrested. My first thought? Who now.

According to The Herald:

National Healing and Reconciliation co-Minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu (MDC) has been arrested on allegations of failing to notify police of a meeting held on Wednesday at a primary school in Lupane. . . . Mzila-Ndlovu, the deputy secretary general of the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, was arrested yesterday morning in Lupane on his way to Victoria Falls where he was supposed to address a national healing meeting.

The following statement from ZLHR shares a bit more information about the arrest, and the arrest of Father Mkandla, who was arrested for convening the healing service Mzila-Ndlovu allegedly didn’t tell the police about.

The Church under attack in Zim as police arrest pastor and MP

Police in Lupane have arrested a Catholic Priest, Father Marko Mabutho Mkandla and Bulilima West Member of Parliament Hon. Moses Mzila-Ndlovu for allegedly convening a meeting without notifying the police.

Father Mkandla, who is represented by Nosimilo Chanayiwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and Nikiwe Ncube of Webb, Low and Barry Legal Practitioners, who is also a member of ZLHR was arrested on Wednesday 13 April 2011 and charged with contravening the country’s tough security laws.

Police charged Father Mkandla with contravening Section 25 of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) after he allegedly convened a healing service at Silwane Primary School in Lupane, Matabeleland North without notifying the police.

The police also charged Father Mkandla with contravening Section 31(a) (i) of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the State and violating Section 42 (2) of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, that is causing offence to persons of a particular race or religion.

Father Mkandla was also charged with contravening the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act for allegedly possessing pornographic material. Although the police record at Lupane Police Station showed that Father Mkandla was released on Friday 15 April 2011 and transferred to Bulawayo Police Station, his whereabouts were not known late on Friday.

On Friday 15 April 2011, the police arrested Hon. Mzila-Ndlovu. ZLHR lawyers attended to the Bulilima legislator and will attend to him again on Saturday 16 April 2011.

Meanwhile, an Associated Press story puts the two incidents together and helps make more sense of the whole thing. Except that none of it makes any sense. Arrest a priest for holding a healing service. Arrest the Minister of National Healing for attending it (and when he’s on his way to address another national healing meeting)? You can’t make things like this up, they’re so absurd.

A recent update from the MDC shares the news of Shakespeare Mukoyi‘s release, after four nights in police custody and following his assault by police. Mukoyi was arrested with fellow congregants at a prayer for peace gathering on Saturday. The others were released on Monday:

Shakespeare Mukoyi, the MDC Harare Youth Assembly vice chairperson who was arrested and beaten by police at a peace prayer church service on Saturday was released on free bail on Wednesday. He was arrested with 12 other people who were released on Monday. Mukoyi who appeared in court with a neck brace after he was seriously assaulted by the police will appear in court on 18 May. He is facing allegations of assaulting a police officer on the day he was arrested.

This statement from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights shares the latest on the congregants who were arrested at a prayer for peace on Saturday.

Police maliciously incarcerate Mukoyi as they release 12 others on summons

Police on Monday 11 April 2011 kept in custody Shakespeare Mukoyi, one of the congregants who was arrested on Saturday 9 April 2011, when police suppressed a church service and released 12 pastors and congregants, who were arrested while attending the prayer meeting in Glen Norah suburb of Harare.

The police released the 12 congregants, who include Pastors Pastor Mukome, the Resident Priest at the Nazarene Church, Pastor Isaya on Monday evening after charging them with contravening Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and indicated that they would proceed by way of summons if need be.

After the release of the other congregants police detained Mukoyi overnight in grubby police cells at Harare Central Police Station and pressed another charge of assault against him. The police, who recorded a warned and cautioned statement from Mukoyi on Tuesday 12 April 2011 in the presence of his lawyer Marufu Mandevere of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners, who is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights charged him with contravening Section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

By lunchtime on Tuesday, the police had not yet taken Mukoyi to court as they were reportedly waiting to be furnished with medical affidavits detailing the injuries sustained by the police officer who was allegedly assaulted by Mukoyi.

Mukoyi and 13 other congregants were arrested by anti-riot police on Saturday 9 April 2011 during a church service organised to pray for peace in Glen Norah. But one juvenile was released after the arrest on Saturday before the police freed 12 congregants on Monday night on summons.

Given the political posturing and harassment which seems the norm in Zimbabwe these days, it’s easy to wonder what difference any of us can make.

But two pieces of recent news have left me encouraged by the opportunities for small change, at least, and have renewed my conviction that speaking out does matter.

Firstly, Parliament has reconsidered sections of the General Laws Amendment Bill following concerns raised by the public and during the Portfolio Committee review stage. Specifically, sections that would have changed procurement regulations to reduce the power and autonomy of local authorities, and changes in copyright laws which would have restricted the ability to copy and share national legislation have come under scrutiny. As such, Parliament has agreed to rewrite the legislation to omit the problematic sections.

I was also encourage to see a recent report from the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) which demonstrated the power of their complaints mechanism.

According to VMCZ:

MISA-Zimbabwe filed a complaint with the MCC over a Redds advertisement carried in the Standard Newspaper of 06 March 2011. The advertisement showed the posteriors of four women each holding a bottle of Redds. MISA-Zimbabwe said the advertisement objectifies women. After a complaint was lodged with the MCC, Delta beverages withdrew the advertisement and apologised to MISA-Zimbabwe.

Speaking your mind, voicing your concern really can make a difference.

Subscribe to the Veritas and SAPST mailings to stay informed about events in Parliament, and use the VMCZ complaints mechanism to air your concerns about the media.

Never mind the MDC rallies which were blocked last month.

On Wednesday mourners were beaten at a memorial service organised by the Heal Zimbabwe Trust.

And now today, riot police stormed a prayer for peace. According to the statement below from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, they assaulted congregants who were inside and outside the church, and they used tear gas to disperse congregants.

Ironically, according to ZLHR, one objective of the service was to “commemorate the events of the 11 March 2007 Save Zimbabwe Prayer Meeting, where one activist Gift Tandare was shot dead while over 100 political and human rights activists were arrested, tortured and detained through similar heavy-handed police action.”

Read the full ZLHR statement below:

ZLHR condemns police abuses in suppressing prayer for peace

Anti-riot police on Saturday 9 April 2011 violently stormed and suppressed a church service organised to pray for peace in Glen Norah suburb of Harare.

The church service had originally been scheduled for St Peters Kubatana Centre in Highfields, but the venue was changed after police camped in Highfields overnight and sealed off the venue to block people from accessing the grounds.

A truck load of riot police carrying tear gas rifles and truncheons descended on the Nazarene Church in Glen Norah while the service was underway, stormed the church hall during prayer, and dispersed the congregation, which included many church, civic and community leaders.

The police, numbering about 20, assaulted congregants who were inside and outside the church and used tear gas to drive congregants out of the church and eventually out of the volatile suburb.

The police went on to indiscriminately fire tear gas canisters at residences and churches surrounding the venue of the church service. Even children who were within and outside the parameters of the church were affected by the tear smoke and the police clampdown.

The police arrested Pastor Mukome, the Resident Priest at the Nazarene Church, Pastor Isaya and some other congregants.

A team of lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) observed police indiscriminately arresting people walking near the environs of the Church of Nazarene even after they had suppressed the service and hounded congregants out of the suburb.

ZLHR lawyers have been deployed to attend to those who have been arrested.

The service was organised by a coalition of churches under the theme “Saving Zimbabwe . . . the unfinished journey”. The church service was aimed at presenting an opportunity to pray for peace in Zimbabwe as part of the process of finishing the journey to save the country. It was also meant to commemorate the events of the 11 March 2007 Save Zimbabwe Prayer Meeting, where one activist Gift Tandare was shot dead while over 100 political and human rights activists were arrested, tortured and detained through similar heavy-handed police action.

ZLHR unreservedly condemns the events of Saturday 9 April 2011 and the indiscriminate violence meted out by police whose responsibility is to see that fundamental freedoms such as freedom of assembly, expression and worship, are enjoyed by all Zimbabwe citizens. Such criminal behaviour makes a mockery of the SADC Troika Communique, issued in Livingstone on 31 March 2011 in which the Zimbabwe government was warned to immediately end the harassment, arbitrary arrests, intimidation and violence which is currently prevailing in the country. It also calls into question the sincerity of pleas from political players such as Oppah Muchinguri who, only the previous day, urged people to turn to prayer as a contribution to efforts towards national healing and reconciliation.

ZLHR urges restraint by the police, an immediate investigation into the unlawful conduct of the police involved in Saturday’s disruptions, and calls for an opening up of space for people to freely assemble, associate and worship rather than the criminalisation of such lawful activities.

The power-sharing government in Zimbabwe has been expected to put an end to human rights violations, restore rule of law and cease politically motivated violence in the country. However, two years have since passed since its formation and human rights violations remain a grave problem in Zimbabwe. In February this year, police raided and arrested a gathering of social and human rights activists who were discussing the political events in Egypt. Some were allegedly beaten and tortured and were charged with treason. This incident is a true reflection of the violations of human rights in Zimbabwe.

Human Rights Watch published a 40-page report, “Perpetual Fear: Impunity and Cycles of Violence in Zimbabwe.” This reports indicates that violence and human rights violations are being fueled by the unity government’s failure to investigate and prosecute cases. Most of these cases of abductions, killings and torture are crimes that occurred in the 2008 elections and little or no accountability has been done.

The Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, which was set up after the formation of the unity government, does not seem to be achieving its mandate.

“The mandate of the Organ is to lay the foundations for a society characterised by mutual respect, tolerance, and development where individuals enjoy the freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. The mission of the Organ is “to heal the wounds caused by generations of injustice, intolerance, exclusion and impunity so as to reconcile Zimbabweans to become One Nation focused on social, political, cultural, and economic development in order to improve the quality of life for all.” On 5 January 2011, a ten member team of artists performing a drama called “Rituals” based on national healing were arrested at Nhedziwa Business Centre in Cashel Valley and detained for two nights before being released. They were being charged with “criminal nuisance” under the Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act. 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 disturbances of June 2008 elections. The drama incited the affected members of the public to revive their differences”.

Human Rights Watch, in their report, calls on the unity government to take all necessary measures to end impunity by setting up an independent commission of inquiry with credible civil society panel members to investigate serious past human rights violations, including those committed during the 2008 election period. And to discipline or prosecute those responsible, regardless of their position or rank.

There’s no doubt that it’s time for real justice to be delivered in Zimbabwe.