News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Zimbabwe protesters ‘beaten very badly’

Posted: 30 Aug 2016 07:12 PM PDT

More than a dozen people were injured after they were arrested during the protests in Zimbabwe last week, say lawyers.

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Harare - The ground floor of the filthy Harare Magistrate’s Court was on Tuesday crowded with anxious people wanting information about their relatives and friends, some of whom were viciously beaten up and wounded after they were arrested during last Friday’s anti-government demonstrations.

Many of those crowded in the dark corridors say they couldn’t afford the daily transport costs from their suburbs to the five-storey court complex on the western edge of the city, not far from the site of one of the demonstrations last Friday.

“We have been here for three days now,” said one.

“Since Saturday. We don’t have money for food and for the taxis to bring us here. We don’t know what has happened to our relatives.”

Lawyers said that more than a dozen people were injured after they were arrested during the demonstration, which turned into a riot.

Policemen dragged them to Zanu-PF headquarters and beat some of them very badly.

Jeremiah Bamu, from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said several of those who he says were “abducted” and then beaten or tortured, were in a “critical condition” and should be in hospital.

“Some of them are appearing in court this afternoon with bandages on their heads,” he said.

Gift Siziba, 26, a student at the University of Zimbabwe, cannot use either of his hands now. “We suspect bones in both hands are broken.”

Most of those who were assaulted after they were detained said they were grabbed from the streets of Harare, or hauled off in buses.

They were handed over later on Friday night to police who locked them up in Harare Central Police Station.

Along with about 50 more who were also arrested last Friday, they appeared in court early on Saturday and were remanded and transferred to the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison at the eastern edge of Harare.

“We managed to get some of them treated by private doctors who were allowed in by the prison services,” Bamu said.

Cameraman Simba Jemwa, who was freelancing for Al Jazeera at the Friday demonstration, is among those with post detention injuries.

He has told lawyers he was taken by men in plain clothes to Zanu-PF’s headquarters where he says he was assaulted. When he was released into police custody his press accreditation, mobile phone and camera were missing, he told lawyers.

A pregnant woman and two minors were among more than 60 people at the Harare court on Tuesday. Three hours after the court opened, those on remand, who were applying for bail, had not yet been brought upstairs from the basement cells – which are close to a broken sewage pipe.

“We don’t know where the magistrates are today. Maybe they are at a workshop,” said one lawyer.

A woman who asked to be identified only by her first name, Patience, said her brother, a nurse, was arrested at a bus stop in central Harare.

“He was going to get a taxi to work at a clinic at Domboshawa, (north of Harare) when he was arrested. I don’t know if he is okay,” she said. “I don’t know why he was arrested.”

“I was at Allan Wilson (school) with my son-in-law to pick up kids from sports and he was arrested,” said Lilian Munyangadzi. “Why? We don’t know.”

Winnie Donve said she was “hungry and worried”, and had left her two young children at home, alone, without food, for the third day, hoping to see her husband, Blessing. “He takes passport photos in town, at the Copacabana,” she said.

This is an area within crowded Chinhoyi Street on the western part of Harare where many vendors have small, make-shift stalls and sell goods, from laptops to tackies and vehicle spare parts. A small part of this area, known as Copacabana, was heavily looted on Friday and there was a small fire there as well. All had been repaired the following day.

Mhiza Chamunorwa, who sells perfumes in central Harare, called his wife, Daisy, at 1.30pm, and said he had been arrested.

“We are vendors. All our perfumes are taken now, we have no money for food or rent,” she said outside the court. “We didn’t know about any demonstration.”

The Chamunorwas live in Harare’s older Highfield suburb, where President Robert Mugabe once lived.

Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba, said he could not “comment” on “matters which are obvious. No sane person comments on a sun that has ‘obviously risen or set’”.

The demonstrations, legalised by the High Court at midday on Friday, attracted less then 400 people. Many were apparently too frightened to attend as they knew the police would attack them.

Riot police hurled teargas early in the morning at the small crowd of demonstrators and sent their water canons in to several places where people gathered, waiting for permission to begin marching through the city to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, to protest to alleged bias.

More teargas was thrown around by the police for a short while after the High Court gave the go-ahead for the demonstration.

Then the police withdrew, but remained on the alert around the city. Many streets were blocked off by boulders, cement blocks and bits of concrete to stop police vehicles, protesters said.

The demonstration was called by a coalition of opposition parties, including the main two, the Movement for Democratic Change, and former vice-president Joice Mujuru’s People First party.

Rugare Gumbo, spokesperson for Mujuru’s party, said: “Zimbabwe is a police state. That is why our police do what they do.”

Both parties said that they back a national strike called for Wednesday by the #Tajamuka social media movement, and will go back to the streets on Friday calling for electoral reform, again.

Lawyers are also preparing documents to serve on Zanu-PF about the abductions and assaults of people who were detained last Friday.

“We are under enormous pressure,” said one lawyer.

“We need more of us to cope with so many people who have been arrested and charged.”

AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY

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Pressure mounts on Mugabe to step down

Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:10 AM PDT

Another national protest on is looming as war veterans call for 92-year-old Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to step down.

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Harare - Another huge protest has been planned for Wednesday with the stated intention of forcing Zimbabwe’s 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe to step down amid a worsening economic meltdown.

Coordinators of the protests called #Tajamuka/Sesijikile insist they are going ahead with the planned protests despite the spectre of police heavy-handedness.

One of the leaders of #Tajamuka, Promise Mkwananzi, was arrested in connection with last week’s protests that culminated in the setting alight of vehicles and market stalls in the capital city, Harare. Mkwananzi appeared in court on Monday but was denied bail.

As many as 67 people, including an old woman and a journalist, were arrested during the protests.

However, #Tajamuka/Sesijikile co-ordinator, Hardlife Mudzingwa said the shut down protests were set to take place in Zimbabwe’s major cities including Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo.

Mudzingwa, said citizens were tired of abject poverty which he blamed on the ruling ZANU PF leaders, whom he accused of corruption.

He cited abuse of power, police brutality and worsening unemployment in the country as reasons why citizens were increasingly unhappy.

However, the group pointed out the protests would not be violent since they believed in peace and stability.

“We are not a violent campaign and we will not involve ourselves in violence,” Mudzingwa said.

#Tajamuka, #ThisFlag, #ThisFlower and a host of opposition parties have in recent weeks participated in protests over the economic melt down, banning of imports of basic food stuff from South Africa, delayed salaries for civil servants, demands for electoral reforms and jobs. The ban of imports from South Africa was lifted after the first wave of protests in July.

The leader of #ThisFlag Pastor Evans Mawarire left Zimbabwe soon after he was released from jail. He was arrested for supposedly trying to topple Mugabe’s 36-year-old regime with his social media campaign.

Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, #ThisFlower campaign leader Stern Zvorwadza, who was recently released from police custody following his arrest a week ago, said protesters would continue “piling relentless pressure” on Mugabe until he quits.

“This day should be historic and be a day that we say enough is enough. As we participate in this process, we should not be deterred by the brutality of the State. We should stay clear in mind and clear in heart that the fight is on and this fight will end the game,” Zvorwadza said.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean war veterans have also warned Mugabe of the risk of eroding his legacy by refusing to step down. The nonagenarian health is failing but he continues to stubbornly cling to power.

The war veterans who in the past formed the bedrock of Mugabe’s support have in recent weeks turned against Zimbabwe’s long time leader. The former fighters said Mugabe’s refusal to step down would “expose” his wife Grace Mugabe and children.

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) secretary-general Victor Matemadanda said Mugabe’s wife was allowing herself to be used by “vultures” within the ruling Zanu PF which is embroiled in serious factional succession fights.

“Mugabe is soiling his own legacy by overstaying. There is no need to force things. He is creating trouble for his children by antagonising everyone, we feel for his wife and children,” Matemadanda said.

African News Agency

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Suicide bomber kills 26 in Mogadishu

Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:12 AM PDT

A suicide bomber targeted a hotel near the Somali presidential palace in Mogadishu, killing 26 people, officials and medical sources said.

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Mogadishu - A suicide car bomber on Tuesday targeted a hotel near the Somali presidential palace in Mogadishu, killing 26 people, officials and medical sources said.

The fatalities included up to 15 members of the security forces and six women, according to security and hospital sources.

Bodies were found in the rubble of collapsed buildings, while some wounded succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

More than 50 people were injured.

“Security forces in the area tried to stop the car while firing at it, but the driver was able to pass through several checkpoints before it exploded outside SYL hotel,” security official Mohamed Hassan said.

Government officials and civil society representatives were inside the hotel, discussing security policy, said a senior intelligence source, who did not want to be named.

State-run Radio Mogadishu quoted Deputy Defence Minister Mohamed Ali Haga as saying that he and two other ministers sustained minor injuries in the blast.

Haga also said legislators and officials were injured, without giving their number.

Some of the victims were inside the hotel when the vehicle - reportedly a truck - exploded.

The blast hit the SYL hotel, another nearby hotel and other buildings, witness Abdisalan Garan said.

Parts of the SYL hotel were completely destroyed, police officer Mohamed Dahir said.

Photographs from the site showed some buildings as having completely collapsed.

The blast also set vehicles on fire on a nearby road, Radio Mogadishu reported.

Sporadic gunfire was heard after the attack. The Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility on pro-insurgent radio Andalus.

The SYL Hotel is frequented by diplomats, government officials, foreign nationals and even hosts visiting heads of state. It was already targeted in February and last year in two attacks that left a total of nearly 40 people dead.

DPA

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Ex-magistrate remains in custody after second rape

Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:12 AM PDT

A former magistrate was refused leave to appeal a Katutura Magistrate’s Court decision to refuse him bail on a second charge of rape.

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Windhoek - A former magistrate suffered a blow on Tuesday when the High Court refused to grant him leave to appeal a Katutura Magistrate’s Court decision to refuse him bail on a second charge of rape.

Jaco Kennedy, 28, will now have to remain in police custody.

High Court Judge Alfred Siboleka presided over the hearing in Windhoek on Tuesday morning.

Kennedy’s privately-instructed defence lawyer Boris Isaacks said after the judgement that he would now send a written petition to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s refusal to grant his client leave to appeal in the highest court (Supreme Court).

“We will now see the State in the Supreme Court as a result of this refusal by the High Court. We will file our papers before the Registrar of the Supreme Court in the next few days,” Isaacks stated.

Kennedy was out on N.dollars 3 000 bail in connection with an incident in which he and another man allegedly raped a woman they had offered a lift to in January 2015.

He was, however, arrested again in January this year for allegedly raping another woman on 31 December 2015, also in an area between the Windhoek Central and Katutura State hospitals, as with the first rape incident.

The Katutura Magistrate’s Court refused him bail in February 2016.

Kennedy has been in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility since his arrest on the second charge of rape with no option to post bail.

Kennedy is charged with his cousin, Ray Cloete, 30, for the first rape incident of a 43-year-old woman in January 2015, before Kennedy allegedly again raped another woman in the same area on 31 December 2015.

State Advocate Innocencia Nyoni applauded the High Court’s decision.

African News Agency

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Car bomb kills 5 outside Somali president's palace

Posted: 30 Aug 2016 04:00 AM PDT

A car bomb claimed by al Shabaab Islamist militants killed five soldiers outside the president's palace in Mogadishu and badly damaged two nearby hotels, police said.

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Mogadishu - A car bomb claimed by al Shabaab Islamist militants killed five soldiers outside the president's palace in the Somali capital of Mogadishu and badly damaged two nearby hotels, police said.

Reuters witnesses said gunfire could be heard after the explosion and a huge cloud of smoke could be seen above the president's palace, outside which were the remnants of the car and splattered blood.

"A suicide car bomb exploded outside the presidential palace. So far two hotels opposite the palace are partially destroyed," police officer Major Mohamed Ali told Reuters by phone.

Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for several recent explosions in Mogadishu, including a car bomb and gun attack last week at a popular beach restaurant in the capital that killed 10 people.

"So far we know five government soldiers died in the blast. It exploded outside the SYL hotel which is also just at the checkpoint outside the palace. We believe the target was SYL which is frequented by officials. The death toll may rise," police officer Colonel Abdikadir Hussein told Reuters.

Al Shabaab's Radio Andaluz said that the group was behind the attack.

In a separate incident, al Shabaab fighters attacked military bases housing government and African Union troops south west of the capital Mogadishu late on Monday, police and the group said on Tuesday.

Military officer Major Bile Farah said a soldier and two al Shabaab fighters were killed in the attack in K-50 and Muri in Lower Shabelle region,

Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the group's fighters had killed 10 soldiers and commandeered a vehicle from the Somali government soldiers.

The militants were pushed out of Mogadishu by the African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM in 2011 but have remained a serious threat, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the government.

Seeking to impose its own harsh form of Islam, al Shabaab has also launched attacks in Kenya and Uganda which have contributed troops to the 22,000-strong AMISOM force.

Reuters

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