Ahead of a visit to Zimbabwe by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called on the South African leader to intervene to stop the arrest of top opposition officials.
On Monday, the MDC’s national spokesman was detained and questioned in connection with the riots that rocked the country in January.
Jacob Mafume was among more than two dozen MDC and civil rights leaders the police said they wanted to arrest in the wake of the January fuel protests.
But, after several hours of questioning, the police released Mafume in the afternoon. His lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara said they’ll contact him if they need the spokesman in future.
The MDC said it wanted Ramaphosa to call for an end to persecution of dissenting views in the country.
That’s after last week’s arrest of three MDC Members of Parliament, two of whom have been charged with subversion.
Ramaphosa was expected in Harare on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s bi-national commission that he would co-chair with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
– EWN
