A Zimbabwean UK based activist Martin William Chinyanga was on Tuesday arrested by the United Kingdom anti-terror police on terrorism charges after calls believed to be from the Zimbabwean embassy and a self confessed terrorist, Flora (Ruramai) Mashingaidze.
The police raided and arrested Chinyanga on allegations of inciting terrorism in the early hours of the 25th Feb. 3 hrs later police officers at Holborn Police station telephoned ZimEye in a pursuit to get the story published, and this was before Chinyanga had been interviewed by his lawyer.
ZimEye questioned the basis for arresting Chinyanga and no clarification was given apart from the statements made via the call which also came from a withheld number.
The Zim embassy and ZANU PF members in UK have a long history of making hoax police calls for fake cases in the UK against activists.
Furthermore, there are several proven cases investigated by the United Nations in which the Zimbabwean government has abused policing powers in order to kill civilians stretching from 1983. As indicated to the police officers, the persons reporting the arrest could have been wanting to repeat more terror attacks in Zimbabwe using Mr Chinyanga who shows signs of being emotionally disturbed from earlier threats against his life by the same complainants, as an excuse.
Under that background, ZimEye chose to wait for the official announcement from lawyers, all done in the public interest.
Chinyanga was released on bail and barred from going within 100 metres of the Zimbabwean Embassy in London.
Part of the bail conditions read: “Not to post or support acts of violence online. To sign on at Islington Police Station every Sunday between 1400hrs and 1800hrs. No to approach/enter Zimbabwe Embassy or surrounding streets namely The Strand, Agar, William the 4th Street.”
A few hours after he was released, Chinyanga posted a video on his Facebook page confirming that he had been arrested and informing people about his bail conditions.
He confirmed that he had been barred from going near or entering the Zimbabwean Embassy.
He said about 10 police officers had raided his house at around 5am.
During the deeply emotional moments of a gun attack on MDC President Nelson Chamisa in Marondera on the 1st December last year, Chinyanga posted a video on his social media titled the roadmap to Zimbabwean freedom. He said this while weeping on his Facebook video.
In the video, he appeared as if encouraging people to burn buses, service stations, fuel tankers and buildings. It is that statement that the complainants have used to say he is encouraging terrorism.
The video was reported to the UK authorities and they deemed it worth investigating.
A woman by name Ruramai (Flora) Mashingaidze has posted on Facebook saying she is the one who reported Mr Chinyanga.
Coincidentally Flora Mashingaidze, is the first to incite terror attacks in Zimbabwe which have seen up to 25 civilians being killed since the 1st August 2018 when soldiers were used to change election results.
In one of her videos she scoffed as she encouraged that soldiers must continue terror attacks against civilians to punish them for protesting. An investigation done during the Motlanthe commission and afterwards United Nations probes has shown the terrorists were not even targeting protesters but any civilian and the killings done for the purpose of forcing government and civilians into a political slide of the perpetrators’ desire.
ZimEye is following up on the case – this is a developing story.
Meanwhile, a contributor, Chief Svosve ran a live solidarity programme for Chinyanga last night. Watch video downloading below: