Hwange Central MP Daniel Molokele and Councillor Ellen Zulu questioned by police over alleged protest plans
Providence Moyo
Hwange Central Member of Parliament Daniel Molokele and Councillor, Ellen Zulu, found themselves spending a significant two hours at Hwange Police station on Sunday, being questioned over alleged protest plans leading up to the highly anticipated Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit.
In an exclusive interview with Community Podium, Molokele reassured the public about their safety, emphasizing that they were released after firmly denying the allegations brought against them.
The security forces had alleged that Molokele was orchestrating a protest in Victoria Falls, whereas in reality, he was attending an annual event organized by CCC in the area.
Moreover, Molokele was also accused of arranging transportation to bring protesters from Hwange to Harare to protest at the summit.
Councillor Zulu shared her own distressing experience, mentioning that her troubles began when she was added to a WhatsApp group named Hwange Shutdown. Despite the initial shock, she assured everyone that she is currently safe. Zulu explained, “Someone added me to a group called Hwange Shutdown, and after two days, I decided to leave the group. However, I was summoned yesterday.”
On a related note, Bryne Nyoni, an opposition youth activist and an ally to Molokele and Zulu, spent 4 hours as he was summoned for questioning on Saturday. Nyoni had to surrender his device to the authorities during the interrogation process. Recounting his experience, Nyoni stated, “I was called in by the CIDs for questioning, and upon the conclusion of the interrogation, they requested that I leave my phone with them, which I retrieved the following day.”
There is a growing concern over the crackdown of activists and members of the opposition ahead of the SADC Summit after recent arrests of human rights defenders Namatai Kwekweza, Vusumuzi Moyo, and Samuel Gwenzi, with civil society organizations calling upon authorities to protect, promote and uphold fundamental human rights.
