Chantel Takudzwa Zambukira and Clive Thabo Dube
The Citizen Coalition for Change in Bulawayo has held a prayer meeting for members across the country who are languishing in Zimbabwe’s prisons due to their political activities.
The meeting that was held at the party’s Fort Street offices in the Bulawayo Central Business District was held in solidarity with incarcerated legislator Job Sikhala who has been languishing in prison since June last year for allegedly inciting violence while addressing people in Nyatsime a few days after mutilated remains of Citizen Coalition for Change activist, Moreblessing Ali were found dumped in a shallow well in Nyatsime.
The prayer meeting was also held in solidarity with twenty-six members of the C.C.C who were recently arrested by the police in Budiriro, Harare, while holding a party meeting. Some of these activists who are women claim that they were sexually harrassed by police.
“Seems like police have now criminalised and banned freedom of speech. The Z.R.P seems to have also banned freedom of association and assembly,” said Pastor Obert Manduna an activist from Nketa-Mganwini in an interview with Zim GBC News
There is also a minor amongst the jailed activist. The regime has so heartlessly locking up form four student imagine,” another C.C.C activist Danie Zhou said on the sidelines of the prayer meeting.
“There is no rule of law in Zimbabwe, the ZANU-PF Ministers have a strong influence on the judiciary and the uniformed forces which they use to eliminate the opposition,” veteran politician and former deputy secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (Z.T.U) Senator Gideon Shoko chipped in.
“The only solution is for this regime to be pushed out of power and for it to be replaced by an accountable government. Zimbabwe is currently in the shackles of cruel military Government,” Shoko added.
Friday’s prayer session was conducted by Pastor Tichaona Mujati who called on all stakeholders including church leaders to push the ruling party to release all political prisoners.
Another C.C.C activist said the party has turns to pray taking a leaf from Apostle Paul who resorted to prayer while in the gauls of Rome.