Thirty youths from President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF were denied bail on Thursday following their weekend arrest in Zimbabwe for beating up opposition supporters and stabbing a police officer.
The young Zanu-PF members commandeered cars from local residents and attacked opposition supporters in the town of Norton, west of Harare.
When police arrested one of the assailants, the mob reportedly attacked a police station. One police officer suffered serious stab wounds, according to the state-run Herald and independent Mirror.
”The accused are facing a very serious offence that is always prevalent during elections and releasing them on bail will put the entire justice system into disrepute,” Magistrate Cremmah Chipere ruled during the court appearance of the 30 youths.
”The offence is violent and infringes on the rights of other people to personal security,” said Chipere.
A 16-year-old girl, arrested along with the 30 other youths, was released.
Stunned friends and family members looked on in silence as prison wardens led the 30 youths into the holding cells at the Harare Magistrate’s Court.
A new court appearance was scheduled for February 25.
The violence came ahead of the March 31 parliamentary elections, which will be closely watched to gauge whether Zimbabwe will live up to its pledge to hold free and fair elections.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has agreed to field candidates in the vote, even though its leaders said it is doubtful that the elections will be democratic.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and police chief Augustine Chihuri this week warned against violence in the run-up to the elections.
”Any perpetrators will meet the full wrath of the law. There will be no excuses, no one to run to,” Chinamasa said.
Elections in 2000 and 2002 in Zimbabwe were marred by violence and widespread allegations of fraud.
In a separate incident, rival factions of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party clashed on Wednesday in the southern town of Masvingo, according to media reports and a party official.
Witnesses told the Mirror and the Herald that violence broke out when MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s bodyguards blocked supporters of a lawmaker who lost in the party’s primary polls as they tried to barge into the meeting.
Two local councillors were among those injured in the Wednesday clashes, according to media reports.
MDC youth chairperson Nelson Chamisa confirmed the clashes, which he blamed on lawmaker Silas Mangono. He accused Mangono of busing in supporters to disrupt the meeting.
”Mr Tsvangirai was having a meeting with officials from the party structures to discuss the party’s election campaign strategies for the province but Mr Mangono, who was defeated in a free and fair excercise, brought his sympathisers to disrupt the meeting,” Chamisa said.
Police said no arrests have been made yet but they are investigating. — Sapa-AFP