More MDC Officials Arrested In Matland

The persecution and intimidation of MDC supporters and officials is continuing unabated in Matabeleland North province.On Thursday 30 members of the Prime Minister,s party including Matebeleland North provincial chairperson, Sengezo Tshabangu were arrested in Nkayi Central on charges of holding an illegal meeting.
According to the MDC Tshabangu was holding a meeting with his deputy Agrippa Sithole, the provincial organising secretary Cornelius Mbayiwa, Lucky Sibanda, Nkayi district chairperson, district executive members and 17 councillors when he was arrested.
The meeting had been called to welcome 17 councillors who had defected from Arthur Mutambara led MDC to join the Tsvangirai formation.The 30 appeared in court on Thursday but were remanded in custody to Monday after the case failed to proceed. The MDC national spokesperson Nelson Chamisa denounced the arbitrarily arrests saying it was unacceptable.  He said it showed that there was no freedom in Zimbabwe and the people were in bondage as they were still in Egypt and had not yet reached Canaan

Meanwhile the court case of Gilbert Kagodora, the MDC Mashonaland Central provincial treasurer who is facing charges of undermining the authority of the President was on Friday referred to the Supreme Court by a Bindura magistrate Charles Murove after Kagodora challenged the Constitutionality of the charge. Kagodora was arrested at Wadzanai Business Centre in Shamva, Mashonaland Central province in June after addressing a rally there.
This month Kagodora challenged section 33 of the Criminal Law Codification Act which he was being charged under.Meanwhile mediator to the Zimbabwe crisis, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa arrived in Harare on Friday to try and ease tensions between President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai.The two leaders are at loggerheads over President Mugabe,s decision to appoint 10 provincial governors without consulting his coalition partners, the two MDC formations.All the governors are from Mugabe,s party, Zanu (PF).The Prime Minister has taken the matter to the high court seeking the nullification of the appointments.
Papers have been served on the President and the 10 governors who are listed as respondents.In his court challenge Tsvangirai says the appointment was illegal and that the President violated the constitution.