HARARE – Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe has responded to recent comments by ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa regarding the release of detained pro-democracy activists and opposition supporters, stressing the independence of the country’s state institutions.
Mutsvangwa had called for the release of the detained activists following the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit held in Harare, implying that the ruling party could exert influence over security services to suppress dissenting voices. Currently, over 100 activists are being held in remand prison, with courts repeatedly denying them bail.
Speaking to journalists in Harare on Tuesday, Minister Kazembe rejected any notion of interference between the branches of government.
“We dismiss with the contempt they deserve, assertions by certain quarters of the community that the judiciary and security services sector can be manipulated,” he stated. Kazembe emphasized that the security sector operates independently and will not tolerate any attempts at meddling in its affairs.
The crackdown on pro-democracy activists has drawn international criticism, with foreign diplomats and the United Nations Human Rights office expressing concern over the Zimbabwean government’s actions. Despite this, Kazembe defended the government’s approach, reaffirming its commitment to upholding the law.
“The security sector equally regrets the reckless abandon with which a few misguided local elements carried themselves. They underestimated our resolve to apply the law, regardless of whether there are international events or not,” Kazembe said, warning that the authorities would not allow “criminality and subversive inclinations of a few individuals to disrupt normal life” in Zimbabwe.
