The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) arrested Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) leader Emmanuel Sitima. Zinasu spokesperson Tatenda Kutsirai confirmed the arrest, stating that charges are not yet clear. Sitima was arrested upon his arrival at Robert Mugabe International Airport. He was returning from Victoria Falls, where he attended an annual meeting for civic society organizations.
“I can confirm that the president was intercepted by suspected State Agencies at the airport when he arrived from the African Philanthropic Conference. There are no charges yet, and currently, he is held at Harare Central, Law and Order. Accusations are not yet clear,” he said in an interview.
Sitima’s arrest comes two days after the arrest of three human rights activists: Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, and Samuel Gwenzi. Chere and his colleagues were headed for the Victoria Falls civic society meeting. The three were hauled out of a plane when it was about to take off, along with sound engineer Vusumuzi Moyo, whose services were required at the Victoria Falls meeting. The three have been taken to court for their initial appearance.
On Thursday, the government promised a clampdown on opposition activists, accusing them of plotting to cause unrest ahead of the SADC summit. Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said the opposition is known for being violent as they hide behind freedom of speech rights.
