EX-ZANU PF MP: "Police, Prosecutors & Magistrates Harassing Citizens Over Political Matters Must Be Held Accountable!"
Former ZANU PF legislator, Dr Godfrey Gandawa has said that police officers, prosecutors and members of the judiciary who were aiding in the victimisation of citizens over political matters must one day, soon, be brought to justice.
Posting on Twitter, the former Higher Education deputy minister said that the mentioned institutions were infringing citizens’ rights enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. We present his twitter thread below.
Calling for, organizing& participating in protests is not a criminal act. The right to freely assembly& protest, for whatever cause, is guaranteed by the constitution& can’t be abrogated by an individual or institution without consequences.
Arrests of activists/politicians now follow a pattern where they’re persecuted & neutralized, through the abuse of the justice system, before being “acquitted” after harassment. The cogs in this unlawful persecution-thru-prosecution are the police, prosecutors & magistrates.
I believe, police are responsible & will one day be held to account for their role in arresting citizens for political reasons. Prosecutors who clearly choose to prosecute clearly innocent citizens in a bid to achieve a political outcome will one day be held to account too.
Police & prosecutors have an obligation to decline prosecution where no offense is apparent. Similarly, magistrates that accede to political prosecutors & remind citizens on flimsy charges must one day be held to account.
I feel, it is unacceptable that the police, prosecutors & magistrates continue to harass citizens over issues that are settled at law, including absurd charges of treason & trying to “overthrow” a government.
