At least 20 MDC supporters including two councillors were arrested in Rusape, Manicaland province last week after residents protested against the Local Government, Rural and Urban Development minister, Ignatius Chombo. The arrested councillors are Rusape council chairperson, Kidwell Gomana and Ward 8 councillor, Teddy Chipere. Residents of Rusape were infuriated by Chombo’s ruling that he wanted to set up a commission to run the affairs of the Rusape Town Council.

Of these twenty, eight were released with no charges laid against them and the other seven appeared before a Rusape magistrate. Six of these were released on US$50 bail each, whilst Chipere who is also the MDC Rusape district chairperson, was denied bail and remanded in custody. The other five, who were picked up on Friday, are expected to appear in court today.

The Manicaland province spokesperson and Makoni South MP, Hon. Pishayi Muchauraya appeared before a Murambinda magistrate on trumped-up charges of undermining the President at a rally in 2006. He will appear before the courts on September 22.

In Midlands North, the MDC Midlands North provincial chairperson, Cephas Zimuti has been acquitted by a Gokwe magistrate. Zimuti was arrested last month for holding an MDC executive meeting at Gokwe Centre. The case was dismissed on the basis that any closed door meeting is not supposed to be booked to the police.

In Masvingo province, Zanu PF has continued with its terror campaign. In Masvingo South, Masviba Dhombo, Kariba Musaidzwa, Saston Maroveke and Julius Masimba – all headmen have been on the forefront of inciting political violence in the area despite the fact that the Global Political Agreement (GPA) openly states that traditional leaders should be apolitical.  The four have clearly declared that they would campaign for Zanu PF.

In Mwenezi district, Zanu PF thugs and soldiers last Friday stormed Chingami Primary school, Ward 5 in Mwenezi East and reportedly ordered the school authorities to temporarily stop lessons to pave way for a Zanu PF rally. The Zanu PF mob, which was led by one Colonel J Hungwe   and Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) commissar for Mwenezi, Justice Sithole, arrived at the school around mid morning and instructed the pupils to go home and bring their parents to the rally, which was later addressed by Colonel Hungwe.

In the same province, Gorden Mugadza, the MDC Masvingo South vice-chairperson was last week arrested and denied access to food and medication by overzealous police officers at Renco police station, only to be released two days later with no charges being brought against him.

(Source: via email)