On Friday, more opposition members were arrested in Zimbabwe as the hearing for four democracy activists, who are seeking the release of opposition leader Jameson Timba, was postponed.
The ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been in power since 1980, has long been criticized for undermining democracy and suppressing dissent. Human Rights Watch indicates that an intensifying crackdown on opposition and civil society groups is occurring in advance of the regional summit Zimbabwe will host in August.
Home Minister Kazembe Kazembe has accused the opposition of orchestrating protests around the summit to provoke a “heavy-handed response” and gain international attention. Jameson Timba, who was arrested in June along with many others, remains detained. On Friday, additional arrests were made, including that of opposition figure Jacob Ngarivhume and a religious leader.
The hearing for four democracy activists arrested in Harare on Wednesday has been delayed until Monday. They were charged on Thursday under public disorder laws for their involvement in protests demanding Timba’s release. According to their lawyer, Timashe Chinopfukutwa, the activists were subjected to both physical and mental torture. In addition, 14 individuals were arrested in Kariba on Thursday, as reported by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). The president of the Zimbabwean National Students Union, Emmanuel Sitima, was also detained in Harare on Friday.