Activist defies Zim police
24/03/2005 20:33  - (SA)  

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Harare - A leading Zimbawean rights activist on Thursday defied a police ultimatum to disclose his sources of information on human rights violations contained in a report released last week.

Police commissioner Augustine Chihuri on Tuesday gave Lovemore Madhuku, leader of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), two days to "come forth with the information, failure of which we will have no alternative but to allow the law to take its course".

A source at the NCA offices in Harare said on condition of anonymity: "Neither the NCA nor Madhuku have submitted anything to the police.

"What the police commissioner made were threats and we are treating them as nothing, but threats.

"We are just waiting for the law to take its course as the police commissioner said."

Assistant commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed Madhuku had not turned over any information demanded by the police, but would not say what course of action the police would take.

The NCA, a coalition of civic, labour and church organisations, released a report ahead of parliamentary elections next week detailing human rights violations that it said showed the climate was not conducive to free and fair polls.

The group listed cases of murder, sexual assault and torture allegedly committed across the country last month.

'Won't allow MDC rallies'

The report also said the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party was using food to buy votes and that police were refusing to allow the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change to hold campaign rallies.

Chihuri told a media briefing in Harare that Madhuku was summoned on Monday "to help us as a crown witness", but failed to turn up.

"We believe the report seeks to satisfy the NCA's handlers and financiers.

'Intended for the EU and Britain'

"We know it is intended for the EU (European Union) and the British so that they can have good reason to denounce the election as not being free and fair," he said.

Zimbabwe's last two elections in 2000 and 2002 were tainted by violence and allegations of intimidation and electoral fraud.

But, some rights groups and police last week said the campaign had been largely peaceful so far.

Mugabe has called for "zero tolerance" to violence as his country comes under scrutiny by neighbouring countries in southern Africa, asked to render their verdict on whether the March 31 vote will be free and fair.

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