Zimbabwean police on Friday charged a leading opposition lawmaker under the country’s tough security laws after arresting him when he went to file a complaint of vandalism against ruling-party supporters, his lawyer said.
Gift Chimanikire, veteran trade unionist and member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was arrested together with an aide inside a Harare police station on Thursday when he reported the stoning of his car by ruling-party supporters.
Lawyer Alec Muchadehama said Chimanikire, who is also the opposition party’s deputy secretary general, and his aide, Edmore Mungofa, were still in detention at Harare’s main police station on Friday evening and added he had been charged with inciting violence.
”They are still in police custody and as we speak the police are searching their homes looking for firearms,” Muchadehama said.
”The police say one of their informants said Chimanikire produced a pistol when he was mobbed by Zanu-PF youths. We are trying to secure their release without going to court.
”We know the allegations are baseless and the searches are not going to yield anything.”
An MDC spokesperson said Chimanikire had gone to the Mbare township near Harare to attend the inauguration of a vegetable market when he had the run-in with the youths from President Robert Mugabe’s party.
”He went to attend the function in his official capacity as MP for the constituency but he was greeted by hostile Zanu-PF youths,” MDC spokesperson Maxwell Zimuto said, adding that in the ensuing melée, the youths beat up Chimanikire’s bodyguards and stoned his car. — Sapa-AFP