Biti slams ‘paranoid’ crackdown on dissent in Zimbabwe, calls SADC to help

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As Zimbabwe grapples with a worsening human rights crisis, marked by rampant abuses and the targeted arrest of dissenting voices, former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take immediate action and intervene in the beleaguered country.

This comes after the police on Wednesday arrested 44 members of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) at the ZESA Training Centre in Belvedere, Harare.

While police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi states that the arrest followed the eruption of violence which resulted in the destruction of property, human rights activists including Biti believe that the arrest and assault of student leaders is a stark example of the Zimbabwean regime’s escalating human rights abuses, driven by paranoia and insecurity.

Biti said that as the economy collapses, corruption soars, and the population grows restless, the regime’s grip on power is slipping.

“The arrest and vicious assault of ZINASU student leaders is yet another blatant abuse of human rights by an increasingly paranoid insecure regime.

“A collapsing economy, internal fissures, a restless population, and unprecedented corruption are pushing the regime to no point of return.

“We condemn the excessive abuse of the State and the unmitigated attack on civil rights. SADC leaders must surely take note of the increasing democratic deficit and demand answers,” Biti noted.

Biti has also demanded the immediate release of Jameson Timba, the interim leader of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), and 74 party activists, who were arrested on June 16 for allegedly holding an unsanctioned political gathering at Timba’s Avondale residence.

Despite seeking bail, Timba and his 78 co-accused (initially arrested) have been denied freedom by both the Harare Magistrates’ and High Courts, resulting in their prolonged pre-trial detention, now exceeding 35 days.

“We call for the release of the students, Jameson Timba and the 78 Avondale Detainees,” he said.

The appeal for SADC to intervene in Zimbabwe comes just weeks ahead of the regional body’s upcoming visit to confer its chairmanship on President Mnangagwa.

The 44th SADC Summit will be held from 8th to 18th August 2024 in Harare.