Arrests and detentions of members and officials of the UANC and ANC (Zimbabwe) are known to be continuing although they are rarely noted by the media. At the adjournment of the abortive Geneva conference the regime's Minister of Law and Order, Hilary Squires, issued a firm warning to "anyone who believes that participation in the Geneva talks invests such participants with an immunity from the laws of this country to say and do what they like." All such possible contraventions of the law, he continued, were the subject of ongoing police investigations and could well lead to prosecution.
One person to have fallen victim to the restrictive climate of "internal settlement" moves is the Rev Canaan Banana, the Publicity Secretary of the recently formed People's Movement of ZANU supporters inside Rhodesia. Banana, who was only released from restriction in October 1976 to join Bishop Muzorewa's delegation to the Geneva talks, was rearrested on 25 January following his return to Rhodesia. Other members of the People's Movement who have since been arrested and detained include Nelson Mawema, acting Publicity Secretary, James Basopomoyo, treasurer, Robert Marere, chairman, and Nolan Makombe. Banana and Makombe were released in April to meet the British Foreign Minister, Dr David Owen, but were redetained immediately afterwards.
On 23 February, Squires was asked by Mr B.A. Mabika, member for Highfield, how many "supporters of Mr Nkomo and the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole" remained in detention and why they were being held when their leaders had been released. The Minister told the House of Assembly that he had "not the slightest idea which of the persons in detention are supporters of either of the two individuals mentioned, since there is only one criteria for the detention of people in this country and that is they constitute a threat to the maintenance of law and order, and not because they support one political faction or another. The first part of the question therefore cannot be answered unless there is conducted a canvass of all detained persons, which I do not propose to undertake even if the results were in any way reliable."
