Zimbabwe opposition spokesman attacked (Nelson Chamisa)

[maddezmom]

Zimbabwe opposition spokesman attacked 37 minutes ago



HARARE (AFP) - Another member of Zimbabwe's opposition has been prevented from leaving the country and suffered serious injuries after being beaten up at Harare International Airport, officials said Sunday.

Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was attacked by suspected state security agents, his MDC colleague William Bango told AFP.

He was on his way to attend an Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) - European Union (EU) meeting in Belgium.

"He was badly beaten this morning whilst he was on his way to the airport by security agents," said Bango, a spokesman for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070318/wl_africa_afp/zimbabwepoliticsopposition_070318110737



"He was badly beaten by men who jumped out of two unmarked cars at the airport," said William Bango, Tsvangirai's spokesman.

Chamisa was receiving treatment at a Harare hospital on his eye and left jaw and had lost a lot of blood, Bango said.

On Saturday, police stopped two other MDC leaders, Sekai Holland and Grace Kwinje, boarding a flight to South Africa for medical checks after they were beaten in police custody a week ago, their lawyer said.

Arthur Mutambara, the leader of a splinter MDC faction, was also stopped from traveling to South Africa, where he spends part of his time working, an MDC official said.

More:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070318/wl_nm/zimbabwe_opposition_assault_dc_1

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Too bad we're all tied up ,I would of been Proud to know it was thwarted..

... by American Escorts of Democracy ,oh ya no oil.

[BayCityProgressive]

2. nice

both the party in power and the opposition suck. They have about as many choices for good governance as we do. Unfortunately for them, their parties kill their own people rather than people abroad.

[Eugene]

3. AFP: Zimbabwe steps up efforts to block opposition from travelling abroad

Zimbabwe steps up efforts to block opposition from travelling abroad

by Godfrey Marawanyika

1 hour, 33 minutes ago

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe has continued its violent crackdown on dissents
after an opposition activist was badly beaten and prevented from leaving
the country at Harare International Airport, his colleagues reported Sunday.

The attack on Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) comes amid mounting criticism on the continent
and abroad of the government action against opposition activists.

-snip-

On Saturday, state security agents arrested Arthur Mutambara, leader of an
MDC breakaway faction, when he tried to leave to South Africa.

Also barred from leaving the country were activists Grace Kwinje and Sekai
Holland, who wanted to leave for South Africa for medical attention, after
being beaten by security forces last Sunday.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070318/ts_afp/zimbabwepolitics_070318120111

[David__77]

4. My first concern is that the US and UK not intervene.

Their support for MDC only tarnishes the opposition in the eyes of ordinary Zimbabweans. Second, I hope that MDC reforms itself and boots out the Ian Smith supporters and neo-liberal model promoters, OR I hope that ZANU-PF reforms itself and boots out Mugabe and returns to its progressive roots. I think the latter is more likely, though not likely.

[Eugene]

5. AP: Zimbabwe Says It Buried Slain Militant

Zimbabwe Says It Buried Slain Militant

By ANGUS SHAW
The Associated Press
Monday, March 19, 2007; 8:44 AM

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Government opponents said Monday that the
government forced the family of an opposition militant shot dead by
police to bury him at their rural home to avoid demonstrations at a
planned ceremony in the capital.

The government insisted, however, that Gift Tandare _ killed as police
disbanded a prayer meeting organized by Zimbabwe's political opposition _
was buried in the countryside at the family's request and that the state
assisted with the funeral arrangements and expenses.

Opposition spokesman Eliphas Mokunoweshure called the government
explanation "nonsense."

Members of the opposition said the Tandare family was coerced by state
intelligence agents into holding the funeral in the Mount Darwin district,
95 miles northeast of Harare.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/19/AR2007031900502.html

[David__77]

6. Another take: "Zimbabwe: State Assists in Burial of MDC Activist"

MDC activist Gift Tandare, who was shot dead by police during a violent demonstration in Highfield last week on Sunday, was yesterday buried peacefully at his rural home in Mashanga Village, Mt Darwin, with his family expressing gratitude to the Government for the assistance it rendered.

His father Mr Phibion Tandare dismissed as unfounded, media reports which claimed their son's body had been seized from a Harare funeral parlour by the Central Intelligence Organisation.


Mr Tandare said he and other family members had collected the body from Doves Morgan funeral parlour.

Ms Makachiveyi Maromo, a sister to the late Gift, said she was shocked to read a story in The Standard yesterday claiming that the family was in a state of shock following the seizure of her brother's body from Doves Morgan funeral parlour by the CIO.

...

http://allafrica.com/stories/200703190069.html

[Eugene]

8. Just note that this other take comes from the state-run Harare Herald. nt

[David__77]

9. Noted. It's highly propagandistic.

But the AP and Reuters et al. are only a little less so. Honestly, I'm highly skeptical of anything I read about Zimbabwe right now. There are a lot of psy-ops going on.

[MAGICBULLET]

7. Also...

<http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/03/19/zimbabwe.unrest.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest>

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe's foreign minister told Western diplomats Monday they would be expelled if they gave financial or diplomatic support to government opponents.

Pressuring diplomats would make it even harder for the international community to keep tabs on a government accused of repressing its people and ruining its economy. The Zimbabwean government prevented opponents from leaving the country over the weekend and has long severely restricted the press.

A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S. Ambassador Christopher Dell, an outspoken critic of Zimbabwe's human rights record, walked out of a meeting at which the warning to diplomats was delivered after Foreign Minister Simearashe Mbengegwi said he would not respond to any questions.

The foreign minister, acting on instructions from President Robert Mugabe, told the Western diplomats that the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic behavior prohibited foreign embassies from involving themselves in the internal affairs of the host nation.