Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere has accused the ZANU PF government of weaponising the law to attack political opponents.
She speaks as dozens of CCC activists including Members of Parliament Job Sikhala (Zengeza West) and Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North) are in jail for “political reasons” according to their party.
They were arrested in June over the 14 June Nyatsime violence that erupted during the funeral wake of slain CCC activist Moreblessing Ali.
In a Twitter post seen by Pindula News, advocate Mahere said the detentions were a sign that the ZANU PF government was “dying.” She said:
Say their names. Detention without trial has no place in a democratic society. Silencing opponents by throwing them in jail is the biggest sign of a dying regime. Stop weaponizing the law to attack political opponents.
Critics say the arrests are meant to silence the opposition.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has always denied the allegations saying the judiciary is independent.
A few weeks ago, constitutional expert and leader of the opposition National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Professor Lovemore Madhuku, claimed that Sikhala and colleagues were victims of their party’s refusal to dialogue with president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
His remarks were viewed, by the CCC, as proof that Sikhala was a political prisoner.
Information secretary, Nick Mangwana, however, said the president would not interfere with the courts.