MDC MP's Disappear
More democracy Zimbabwe style

11^th April 2003

The whereabouts of two MDC Members of Parliament arrested by the police this week were unknown last night, as Paul Themba Nyathi, the party's spokesman, was released from police custody after the Bulawayo High Court declared he was being held illegally.

The two opposition MPs, Jealous Sansole (Hwange East) and David Mpala (Lupane), were arrested on Wednesday.

Nyathi was arrested on Monday on allegations of attempting to subvert the government.

The police alleged that Nyathi, 57, together with other MDC officials, including Gibson Sibanda, the party's vice-president, organised last month's stayaway which they said was accompanied by violence.

Sibanda was arrested last week and released on Monday on $1 million bail.

Speaking from Bulawayo yesterday, Nyathi said: "I have been released and I am at home right now. I must be honest, I was lucky because the police treated me reasonably well."

Justice Maphios Cheda ordered Nyathi's immediate release and said should the police want him prosecuted they should proceed by way of summons.

After the judgment, the police tried to send Nyathi to the magistrates ' court in an apparent bid to circumvent Cheda's ruling, but the move flopped.

Asked why they had not brought Nyathi to court as ordered by an earlier provisional order, Herbert Ushewokunze, representing the State, said he was not sure why.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of two other MDC MPs were unknown yesterday.

The two were arrested as they drove from Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Airport. Nicholas Mathonsi, their lawyer, said last night he was yet to establish where they were being held. Sansole, speaking from police custody after their arrest, said the police accused him of ordering youths to puncture tyres of cars during last month's stayaway. He said they had further questioned him about ballot box seals found in his car.

It was not clear by last night on what charge Mpala was being held.

After last month's stayaway, the police arrested more than 200 MDC supporters and officials for organising the protest and the alleged accompanying violence.

The crackdown followed President Mugabe's order to the State security agents to "crush" the MDC.

Mugabe gave the directive at Heroes' Acre during the burial of the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Swithun Mombeshora, last month.

Staff Writers - Daily News (Zimbabwe)