Twenty-seven members of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe were arrested in Harare over the weekend, as political tensions run high in the capital ahead of two key by-elections, the state-run Herald newspaper said on Monday.
Twenty-one of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were arrested in the low-income suburb of Kuwadzana for allegedly holding an illegal meeting, while seven other party members were arrested in the Highfield suburb for allegedly attacking ruling party supporters.
By-elections are due to take place in the two suburbs, which are both opposition strongholds, at the end of the month. Police representative Bothwell Mugariri told The Herald that the group in Kuwadzana stoned police officers who came to break up their meeting, injuring four officers and damaging two vehicles.
”The group was violent and as a result the police called for reinforcements before they managed to arrest 21 people,” Mugariri told the paper.
He said the group had not sought clearance from police to hold their meeting, which is required under tough security laws here. – Sapa-AFP