MDC PRESS
07 July, 2003
Harare Mayor Elias Mudzuri arrested.
Police this morning arrested Harare Mayor, Engineer Elias Mudzuri, and stopped a press conference which he was supposed to address at Town House.
Engineer Mudzuri arrived at Town House at around 11.30 am and soon after a group of police officers, some in plain clothes, and accompanied by members of the CIO, followed him into his office and demanded that he should leave the office immediately. The Mayor argued that the police had no grounds for preventing him from conducting his duties. They tried to force him out of his chair but he refused. He was subsequently arrested and taken to Harare Central Police Station where superintendent Murwira informed Engineer Mudzuri that they (police) were specifically instructed by the Minister of Local Government to ensure that Mudzuri was not allowed into his office and if ever he was seen in his office he should be arrested.
Engineer Mudzuri was further told that if he went back to his office he would spend the night in the police cells. At the time of issuing this press release, police have not come up with a specific charge.
Engineer Mudzuri was suspended by the Minister of Local Government and National Housing, Dr. Ignatius Chombo in what many people saw as a show of political muscle by the minister. The City of Harare Council resolved not to recognise the suspension, resulting in Chombo applying to the High Court to bar Engineer Mudzuri from entering his office. The court is yet to make a ruling on Chombo's application.
More information can be obtained from the Mayor, who can reached on 263 11 860 777, or his lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who can be reached on 263 91 223 917
Paul Themba Nyathi
Secretary for Information and Publicity
Zimbabwe Information Centre Inc, PO Box K824, Haymarket NSW 1240, Australia. www.zic.com.au
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