Socialist Activists Arrested in Zimbabwe

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday March 22, 2002 15:35 by Gino - SWP swp at clubi dot ie

ISO Activists Arrested by Tafadzwa Friday March 22, 2002 at 08:00 AM Latest news on arrests of ISO activists.

Yesterday morining 5 I.S.O. members were arrested at the National Univerity of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo for supporting the ZCTU 3 day stayaway by calling students to also embark on a class boycott. The five are John Briggs Bomba the national co-ordinator of I.S.O. Students Union who is also the president of the National Union of University Students (NUUS), Bernard Mupamba the co-ordinator of Bulawayo Students Against Privatisation (SAP), Tendai Jeka, Richard Nyengera and Agrippa. They are being charged under the draconian P.O.S.A. section 17 for "disrupting lessons and inciting students" at NUST. They are being held at Bulawayo central police station. The cdes have also been severly beaten by the police in cells. The police have refused to take them to court today because they want to keep them for the weekend and also further assulting them.

Their arrests mark the third consecutive day that opponents of the government have been targetted. On it Tuesday, Wellington Chibhebhe of ZCTU and Philip Pasirayi with 2 other students from University of Zimbabwe were respectively picked up by police. Wednesday - it was Morgan Tsvangirai and Ranson Gasela hauled before the courts -Today NUUS leader Bomba saw his turn.

We strongly condem these arrests and also the continuating of violence in the townships that has seen the attack of several activists. We are calling for the immediate release of the 5 arrested comrades. Midlands State University has already started a class boycott in solidarity with the arrested students. Though students at NUST closed today for 1 week break they were on class boycott on Wednesday and Thursday. This afternoon I.S.O. and SAP members together with other activists are staging a peacefull demonstration outside the police station. We need not to give Mugabe and his government confidence in attacking workers, students and the ordinary people esp after the failed stayaway.

Thank you
Fraternally
Tafadzwa, ISO Zimbabwe

http://www.voiceoftheturtle.org/iso