Zimbabwe police arrested a prominent civil-rights leader on Wednesday for taking part in a protest against a new law clamping down on rights groups, a police spokesperson said.
Lovemore Madhuku, the head of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), was picked up ”for the illegal demonstration held last week”, said police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena.
He added that the arrest is also expected to help police inquiries into a petrol bomb that ”was found amongst the demonstrators”.
Last week, at least 40 NCA activists were arrested in central Harare for trying to stage a protest march against a proposed new law banning international rights groups and cutting off foreign funding for local human rights groups.
Police raided the organisation’s offices on Wednesday, said NCA spokesperson Jessie Majome in a statement.
Police were also seeking a search warrant for Madhuku’s home to look for ”so-called dangerous weapons and subversive material”, Majome added.
Police were not immediately able to confirm that the offices were searched.
The NCA played a key role in urging Zimbabweans to reject a draft Constitution authored by a government-appointed constitutional committee four years ago.
The organisation, along with other NGOs, has condemned the government’s Non-Governmental Organisations Bill as ”unconstitutional”.
The Bill, which is due to be brought before Parliament soon, aims to ban foreign human-rights groups from operating in the country and outlaw outside funding for local rights groups.
Many NGOs in Zimbabwe depend on outside funding to do their work. — Sapa-AFP