KAROI – Two opposition election candidates were on Monday being held by police after their weekend arrest in Karoi town, more than 200km north-west of Harare, for allegedly meeting supporters without permission from the police. 

The two, Godfrey Gumbo and Maireva Gudo Nziramasanga, who belong to the faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party led by academic Arthur Mutambara, are expected to appear in court today to answer charges of violating the Public Order and Security Act (POSA). 

The tough Act prohibits Zimbabweans from meeting in groups of more than three to discuss politics without first seeking permission from the police.  

Police commander for Hurungwe district, under which Karoi falls, Gilbert Dube refused to discuss the arrest of the candidates when contacted by ZimOnline. 

MDC spokesman Gabriel Chaibva described as spurious the charges against Gumbo and Nziramasanga, the party’s candidates for Hurungwe Central and Hurungwe North constituencies respectively. 

“Our members are in police custody and the charges are spurious as POSA is being used against us,” he said. 

According to eyewitnesses, armed police last Friday night stormed a house in the small town’s Chikangwe low-income suburb where the two MDC politicians were meeting supporters to explain their party’s policies ahead of elections next month. 

“The two were arrested on Friday night as we had held a meeting at a local house in Chikangwe suburb. Police said we had an unsanctioned political meeting which is illegal under POSA,” said a witness, who did not want to be named for fear of possible reprisals. 

The arrest of the MDC candidates comes as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) reported at the weekend that local police commanders in some parts of the country have imposed unofficial curfew in their areas, illegally restricting movement of people in the evenings. 

ZimRights cited the suburbs of Manyame Park, Zengeza and St Mary’s in the opposition stronghold Chitungwiza city where it said it had received the most reports of police imposing unofficial curfew that it said were meant to stop residents from using the night to campaign for the opposition. 

Zimbabwe holds local government, parliamentary and presidential election on March 29. 

Analysts say an unfair playing field coupled with political violence and intimidation of opponents guarantees President Robert Mugabe’s government victory at the polls despite clear evidence it had failed to break a vicious inflation cycle that has left consumers impoverished and the economy in deep crisis. – ZimOnline