Arrests
ZIG Watch : Issue 7
Sokwanele Article: August 4th, 2009
Future and potential by-elections 
The waves of democratic turmoil washed over from June to July with scores of breaches of the GPA being recorded, the majority of which fell into the following categories:
- wanton politically motivated violence, or violence driven by politicians,
- harassment, and deprivation of freedom, of individuals through contrived arrests on spurious charges,
- widespread corruption involving senior public and uniformed figures,
- the deprivation of the right to Freedom of Expression, and the abuse thereof,
- violent, unconstitutional, invasions and seizures of property and farms, and
- deliberate attempts to derail the Constitution-making process.
The month began with a group of journalists returning to court in an effort to make former High Court rulings ‘legally binding’ – calling attention to ZANU PF breaches of GPA articles covering both the rule of law and freedom of expression. The journalists had been barred from covering the COMESA summit on the grounds that they were not accredited by the Media and Information Commission (MIC). This was despite a High Court ruling in June that made it clear that the MIC was defunct, and that journalists were not required to register with it. 
Party breaches against Article 19 - click to enlarge
Supreme Court Challenge
Sokwanele Article: May 25th, 2005On May 26 two of South Africa's foremost constitutional lawyers will appear in Zimbabwe's Supreme Court to mount the most serious legal challenge yet to the continued incarceration of the country's celebrated prisoner of conscience, Roy Bennett. Due to appear before Zimbabwe's highest court in Harare on Bennett's behalf are Advocates Chaskalson SC and Gauntlett SC.
Roy Bennett was elected Member of Parliament for Chimanimani constituency in the 2000 Parliamentary elections. He is a leading member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party who enjoys a huge popularity among his rural, almost entirely black, constituents. Fluent in the vernacular he was, until his forcible ejection from his farm in the eastern highlands, a successful coffee farmer, and respected as a good employer who had the interests of his employees very much at heart. Prior to the year 2000 he had been a staunch supporter of ZANU PF but, in response to the increasing levels of corruption and nepotism in the ruling party, he threw his weight behind the fledging opposition movement. Despite receiving death threats from senior ZANU PF politicians, a police commander and the local CIO boss, Bennett stood for the MDC and won by a huge margin.
Women from WOZA arrested at their homes
Sokwanele Article: March 8th, 2005Sokwanele has just received word that some women from a local activist group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were arrested at their homes earlier today.
The numbers arrested are so far unconfirmed.
Today, 8 March, is International Women's Day - the UN theme for International Women’s Day this year is "Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future".
WOZA were planning to march in solidarity with women all around the world. The arrest of the women at their homes means that the Zimbabwean police effectively stopped the march before it started.
This event once again highlights the fact that there is no freedom of expression or association in Zimbabwe today.
The following articles, available from our website (www.sokwanele.com), cover some of WOZA's activities in the past. If you would like to receive copies of these by email, please request them by emailing us.
