Update on Simon “Dreadman” Mudekwa
This is via a comment on our blog — an update on Simon “Dreadman” Mudekwa, the President of the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement who is still in jail in South Africa and will be in court tomorrow.
So much is happening in Zimbabwe that we need to keep our eye on this story before it slips under the radar.
SWRadio Africa have a report where the people arrested allege that they were “assaulted by police when they were arrested”. They said that a “female activist named Princess was beaten with a rifle butt [and that it is] believed she is pregnant”. If this is true it sounds like Zimbabwe, not South Africa!
Rev Mufaro Stig Hove, who left a comment on this blog, said that “the activists also alleged that police threw teargas into an enclosed vehicle that contained 30 of the arrested”. SWRA says that this information was also confirmed by Gabriel Shumba, director of the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, who helped to organise the protest.
Follow the link to the comment left by Rev Mufaro for his contact details - you can find contact details for Gabriel Shumba via our database.
I have been told by people who know Simon “Dreadman” Mudekwa that he would love contact with the outside world and supporters. He is an extroverted fearless friendly outgoing guy. Reassure him and his friends with him that we are following his story.
He sent a text message to the person who left a comment on our blog which read:
Still in cells. appearing in court 2moro. u cn use this no. or 00 278 339 4378. thanx 4 yo supot cdes. u cn inform other cdes that side
So… consider yourselves informed…
Please all send him a text message (it’s very late now so maybe wait until morning), and call the Reverend or Gabriel Shumba to find out how they are doing. Leave responses on this blog. If things don’t go well for them, let’s please discuss how we are all going to support them.
April 29th, 2008 00:23
Ooops. I forgot the number -
Cell phone number: + 27 (0)79 619 2955
Hope
April 29th, 2008 09:25
Another alert!!!!
Malawi set to clear Zimbabwe arms
Nyasa Times, Malawi
Nyasa Times Reporter 29 April, 2008
“Malawi government has sent a top three man national intelligence experts to
Angola to look at ways of helping Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe clear
the weapons aboard the beleaguered Chinese ship that has docked in Luanda,
Angola, Nyasa Times has learnt.
The Malawi team is comprised of Mr Clement Kapalamula - Head of Secret
Intelligence Services (SIS), Mr George Masinga - Acting Director of Foreign
Relations (Intelligence) and a Mr Matanga - Technical Engineer
(Intelligence).
The delegation left the country on Sunday through Kamuzu International
Airport via South Africa to Luanda, Angola’s capital to assess the means of
clearing the arms in disguise as if they have been donated to Malawi by the
Chinese Defence Forces.
“Malawi Secret Intelligence Services (SIS) was approached by the Central
Intelligence Organisation (CIO) of Zimbabwe to help in clearing the arms if
the ship docked in Angola,” said a State House source speaking on condition
of anonymity.
Malawi leader Bingu Mutharika is a staunch supporter of the 84 year old
Zimbabwean dictator and has been providing supplies to his household and
‘donated’ 400 000 tonnes of maize to ZANU-PF to buy votes during the March
29 disputed general elections.
China and Zimbabwe want to clear the weapons as a donation to Malawi under
recently signed US$4 million China-Malawi defence cooperation. The weapons
are further to be smuggled into Zimbabwe.
“The plan is to clear the arms as if they are to be used by Malawi while in
real sense they will be passed over to Zimbabwe using trucks ferrying maize
being sold to Zimbabwe by the president,” added the source.”
April 29th, 2008 11:11
This is disgusting! I don’t want to believe that this news about our police force can be true! Unfortunately, I watched an episode of Carte Blanche earlier this year, which showed that some members of our police force do behave this way. I’m not too sure, but I think it was somewhere in the Free State where male and female members of the police force raided a club and used unnecessary force against the people there. Men AND WOMAN at the club were punched in the face, hit with rifles, handled agressively, and sworn at. One woman who was stip-searched by 2 female police officers, claimed that she had been indecently violated by them, and that she felt humiliated and traumatised by the event.
The police denied these reports of violence, and claimed that they were simply carrying out a series of “normal” drug raids to clamp down on crime.
Oops! Big whoop-whoop! They obviously didn’t see the cctv cameras in the club…Carte Blanche showed video footage of the event as it unfolded!
According to Carte Blanche, this was the 2nd incident of police violence. They did another story last year. (I think it was in a different province or town)
What on earth is going on???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 29th, 2008 14:32
Just had this sms back from Simon:
“Thanx my brother. 2gether we shal liberate the pple of Zim. We r going 2 court 2moro and whatever the outcme the struggle shal continu without fear”
God will prevail, Zimbabwe will get its peace & freedom. God bless you all in the struggle.
April 29th, 2008 20:19
That Carte Blanche story was about Stellenbosch, a few k’s from here.
Student pubs raided and definitely some animosity at work. The police are probably going to have their blue pants sued off.
A very different scene to the one in Pretoria. I’m very troubled by the way the SA Government seems ready to tolerate xenophobia and to promote the idea that illegal immigrants are responsible for our crime wave (as if).
April 30th, 2008 00:15
Also got a message from Simon It says thanks for your support. God Bless you. I felt very humbled to be be thanked by a person who is not in the best of circumstances, incarcerated and fighting for a better Zimbabwe. Its good to know that in all our fights we are not alone. Today I was reminded of the good in Zimbabwean people and how despite Mugabe’s best intentions we continue to be this human.
April 30th, 2008 11:38
Sally D
“The police are probably going to have their blue pants sued off.
A very different scene to the one in Pretoria. I’m very troubled by the way the SA Government seems ready to tolerate xenophobia and to promote the idea that illegal immigrants are responsible for our crime wave (as if)”.
The police are not going to get sued by anyone…How can the anc sue itself ?
The anc promotes the idea that it is the illegals to blame
a) because the illegals are to blame
b) because they have a convenient excuse for their own failings and compulsory incompetence.
April 30th, 2008 15:09
I was referring to the Stellenbosch pub-raiding incidents, where police may be sued by affected members of the public. As South African citizens they have rights and in many cases are in the fortunate financial position to hire the legal team of their choice.
Neither of which applies to Zimbabwean refugees. I am not anti-ANC as such, but I agree about the scapegoating of refugees to cover the state’s own inability or unwillingness to address domestic social problems. That’s why we have to keep up the pressure for refugee rights and services; and may need to do so for some time even if Mugabe goes.