Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe, has issued a firm rebuke to ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa, dismissing calls for the release of detained pro-democracy activists and opposition supporters as an attempt to influence the judiciary and security services.
The Minister’s statement comes amidst growing international condemnation of the government’s crackdown on dissent, particularly in the lead-up to the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit held in Harare.
Over 100 activists are currently languishing in remand prison, facing numerous court appearances and denied bail on multiple occasions. The government’s actions have drawn criticism from foreign diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe, the United Nations Human Rights, and human rights organisations worldwide.
Mutsvangwa, in a move that has been widely interpreted as an admission of the ruling party’s influence over the security apparatus, called for the release of the detained activists following the conclusion of the SADC summit. His remarks, delivered with a dismissive giggle, suggested that the ruling party was behind the clampdown, using the security forces to silence dissenting voices.
“Those are deviants, and they were dealt with properly. And we are very happy they failed. And they will never succeed again,” Mutsvangwa stated, seemingly unconcerned by the international outcry over the government’s actions.
However, Minister Kazembe has vehemently denied any interference in the work of the judiciary and security services, asserting that the government is committed to upholding the principle of separation of powers.
“We, therefore, dismiss with contempt, they deserve, assertions by certain quarters of the community that the judiciary and security services sector can be manipulated. The security sector will disregard any attempt at interfering with its work. Equally fully commit to be guided by professional ethics in avoiding any undue meddling into the affairs of other arms of the state by any of our members,” Kazembe declared.
“The security sector equally regrets the reckless abandon with which a few misguided local elements carried themselves. They underestimated our resolve to apply the law regardless of whether there are international events or not,” Kazembe stated. “We will not allow criminality and subversive inclinations of a few individuals to disrupt normal life pursuants of the majority.”
However, human rights organisations have expressed deep concern over the government’s actions, highlighting the potential for abuse and the erosion of democratic principles.
Roselyn Hanzi, director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which is representing the detained activists, expressed her dismay at the government’s blatant admission of control over the judiciary.
“Every person in Zimbabwe should be worried where the ruling party openly admits that it fully controls one of the key arms of government that is supposed to provide checks and balances and in fact protect the citizens from the excesses of the other two arms: the legislature and the executive,” Hanzi told VOA.
“The judiciary is very key and plays a central role in protecting citizens and ensuring that their rights are realized. In this case, you see them admitting that there [are] those people that wanted to protest. … Protest[ing] is not criminal, and it’s not a privilege. You should not be negotiating or begging for it.”
