29/08/2008

Civil Society still under attack in Zimbabwe


Angela Campbell (70), abducted and tortured while Mugabe was being inaugurated. More pictures.


Press Release from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition:

Heavily armed police officers stormed a meeting of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, in Harare hotel around 12:30 [yesterday] afternoon disrupting proceedings of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of its membership, gathered for the administrative business of electing new office bearers.

This happened as South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki, mediator in Zimbabwe’s power-sharing talks, arrived in Zimbabwe for what is expected to be a next leg in his efforts to enforce an unpopular government of national unity.

“They are being very rough, and unreasonable. They are threatening us with arrest and saying that our gathering is illegal”, said Elinor Sisulu, a spokesperson of the group. “This whole attack of civil society flies in the face of the provision the memorandum of understanding of which says that there should be an environment in which social welfare organizations, of which Crisis has a sizeable members who are gathered here today, should be enabled to carry outs their activities without intimidation”.


Comment:
Mugabe's programme of destroying any possible independent meeting, never mind any group that opposes him, continues despite MDC advances in parliament, supposed talks, South Africa's flawed mediation.

While I would like to grap every small hint of possible improvements widespread and targeted violence is the overwhelming reality.

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