Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe says the police and courts operate independently and cannot be influenced by political figures.
This statement follows comments made by ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa, who recently called for the release of detained activists after the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit held in Harare.
Mutsvangwa’s remarks were interpreted by some as suggesting that the more than 100 activists arrested in the lead-up to the August 17, 2024, SADC Summit were not apprehended for actual crimes but rather to prevent potential lawbreaking.
In a press briefing in Harare on Tuesday, Kazembe said that police officers and magistrates are guided by professional ethics in their duties. He said:
We, therefore, dismiss with contempt, they deserve, assertions by certain quarters of the community that the judiciary and security services sector can be manipulated.
The security sector will disregard any attempt to interfere with its work. Equally fully commit to being guided by professional ethics in avoiding any undue meddling in the affairs of other arms of the state by any of our members.
Kazembe defended the government’s hard-handed clampdown on the pro-democracy activists ahead of the SADC Summit. He said:
The security sector equally regrets the reckless abandon with which a few misguided local elements carried themselves.
They underestimated our resolve to apply the law regardless of whether there are international events or not.
We will not allow criminality and subversive inclinations of a few individuals to disrupt normal life pursuants of the majority.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), eight of the twelve Gokwe villagers arrested approximately two weeks ago for allegedly participating in an anti-government demonstration were denied bail on Monday.
Magistrate Honest Musiyiwa ruled against granting bail, saying the accused might interfere with witnesses.
He also noted that one of the suspects, Gift Chuma, remains at large and that investigations are still ongoing.
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