The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) has condemned the ongoing government crackdown on political activists aimed at quelling possible demonstrations ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit to be held in Harare.
With the summit set to be held on the 17th of August, the Zimbabwean government is afraid of being embarrassed by possible protests that are allegedly being planned by opposition activists.
Against this background, law enforcement agents have arrested more than 100 activists, including students. They are being accused of plotting demonstrations.
Former Cabinet Minister Jameson Timba and 74 members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) faction he leads are currently detained on charges of holding an unsanctioned political gathering.
Pro-democracy campaigners Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere, and two others are also seeking bail after being arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport last week.
They were allegedly abducted from a plane detained at a hidden place and tortured for eight hours before being formally slapped with “frivolous” charges.
In a statement on Friday, ZCBC condemned the strategy that the government employed against its critics. The church has urged the regime to consider dialogue as a way of resolving grievances.
“As the Catholic Bishops, we are worried and saddened that to silence the dissenting voices and to quell possible demonstrations, violence, torture, and abductions seem to be the only options deployed,” ZCBC said.
“Why not try dialogue with those who feel aggrieved by the present state of our country?
“As Zimbabweans, we are people with a culture of tolerance, and we value diversity. Let this be seen in how we conduct our businesses and how we articulate our grievances.
“We appeal to all concerned, to exercise their rights responsibly and to the government we call for restraint. The prevailing situation in the country does no one any good.”
The church further condemned the arbitrary arrests of activists and the subsequent denial of bail by the Zimbabwean courts.
“Recently, we have seen the wanton arrests of citizens under frivolous charges. Some of the arrested have been denied bail. Surely, even those who ‘have committed crimes’ deserve to be treated in a just manner.
“They can not be denied their fundamental rights. Here, the adage, ‘justice delayed is justice denied,’ rings true. Let us safeguard the human rights enshrined in our Constitution.
“As we once appealed before the August 2023 elections, we urge our politicians again and those in government to exercise their duties responsibly,” ZCBC said.
Meanwhile, during a press briefing at the party’s headquarters on Thursday, ruling Zanu-PF party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa warned the opposition against staging demonstrations during the summit saying, “Let them not play with fire”.