By A Correspondent| The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has vehemently condemned the “excessive use of force” by Zimbabwean authorities following the arrest and prolonged detention of Senator Jameson Timba and 78 other activists. According to the CCC, this incident underscores the regime’s “unnecessary fears, insecurity, and paranoia.”
Senator Timba and the other detainees have been held without bail for over 40 days since their arrest on June 16, 2024, at Timba’s Avondale residence during a commemoration of the Day of the African Child. Several detainees have sustained serious injuries from police beatings, including one with a fractured leg that has become septic. Others have suffered burst eardrums, and one detainee is caring for her infant under harsh prison conditions. Among those detained is a Form 4 student who should be preparing for her October exams.
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi criticized the arrest and detention as “inhumane,” highlighting a deepening political crisis marked by shrinking democratic space, political persecution, and the misuse of the law. Mkwananzi condemned the regime’s actions as unacceptable in a nation meant to be independent and democratic.
The CCC also pointed to the recent arrests of over 40 Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) activists and reported that several opposition leaders have received threatening phone calls, with some opposition supporters being displaced.
Mkwananzi called for local, regional, and international solidarity against the regime’s “weaponization of the law” to prosecute political opponents. He urged citizens, justice advocates, diplomats, and the public to show their support for the detained activists at their trial on July 29, 2024.
The issue has also reached the UK Parliament, where Lord John Oates brought the situation to the attention of the UK legislature. Oates urged the UK government to express solidarity with the detained activists and to pressure President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government for their release, emphasizing the importance of respecting human rights and the rule of law.