Bishop Muzorewa's government has inherited intact all the Rhodesian Front's instuments of political repression, notably the Law and Order (Maintenance) Act and the many emergency regulations introduced over the years under the terms of the national State of Emergency, together with martial law. The newly-appointed Minister of Law and Order Mr. Francis Zindoga stated in a radio broadcast on 3 June that "subversive elements" would not be tolerated by the government of "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia" and would be prosecuted in the courts. The police would continue to carry out their "normal function" of enforcing law and order "with the greatest determination", in addition to their paramilitary role. The regime intended, he said, "to keep a tight rein on any activities which might lead to a breakdown of law and order".
(The portfolios of Justice and Law and Order have been split between Mr. Chris Andersen of the Rhodesian Front and Mr. Francis Zindoga, UANC, the former Co-Minister of Justice, Law and Order in the Transitional Government).
Arrests and detentions without charge on political grounds have continued at a high level since the April elections and the installation of the Muzorewa government although the information available is sparse and fragmentary, particularly from the martial law areas now covering 95% of the country. Towards the end of April for example the regime announced that 58 people had been arrested in Bulawayo after a series of "politically inspired incidents" in two townships, and a number were expected to appear in court. A police spokesman said that supporters of an "externally based terrorist leader" (i.e. Joshua Nkomo or Robert Mugabe) were involved and had allegedly been responsible for stoning buses and assaults.
Typical reports of arrests received by IDAF include:
- a group of 400 people arrested in the Fort Victoria district in May as suspected guerilla collaborators. They were subsequently transferred to Chikurubi prison.
- three teenage girls, Lydia Mutenure, Junior Mpanganyemba and Jane Muyambo, arrested in April in Makroni TTL, Rusape, and detained at a base occupied by auxiliary forces (private armies) to cook and wash for the inmates. (It is standard practice in cases such as this, which now occur all over the country, for the girls to be sexually abused).
- Robert Manzini, the bookkeeper at Chikore Hospital, Chipinga, arrested in June under the martial law regulations
- John Nyakatawa, arrested in June as a curfew breaker and detained at Inyanga police station.
- Mr. Munyaradzi, arrested by auxiliary forces in Enkeldoorn while searching for a cousin who had allegedly himself been detained by auxiliaries.
The most widely publicised arrests since the April elections have been those of up to 17 members of Rev. Sithole's organisation, following reports of an alleged assassination plot against Bishop Muzorewa, and Rev. Sithole's announcement that he would be boycotting the new parliament due to alleged irregularities into April elections. The Sithole supporters, who included the deputy secretary general and a number of other party officials, were arrested by the Salisbury police at the end of May and beginning of June. Most, if not all were released from detention by the end of June.
On 3 July a spokesman for the regime's Ministry of Law and Order announced that 141 detainees, most of whom were believed to be supporters of ZAPU (Patriotic Front), had been released — the first to be freed by Bishop Muzorewa's government. The spokesman said that the detainees "no longer posed a threat to public security". "Informed sources" in Salisbury, in the absence of any official figures from the regime, put the total number of persons detained without charge at almost 700. It is not clear whether this figure includes those held without charge under the martial law regulations as well as those detained in the usual way under the State of Emergency. Information available to IDAF would put the total number of people detained without charge on political grounds at any time as considerably higher than this.
These releases mirror those which took place in the weeks following the signing of the original internal settlement agreement in March 1978. They clearly have considerable propaganda value for the regime. Meanwhile arrests continue.
Six convicted political prisoners were released in March at the request of Bishop Muzorewa's UANC, and on condition that they did not again work against the regime. They are: JOHN MUTASA (61) — former director of the Nyafaru Development Company, an agricultural cooperative near the Mozambique border. Sentenced in October 1975 to 20 years imprisonment, 8 suspended, for recruitment for guerilla training. He had been held in Umtali prison.
JONES GONDO (32), a University of Rhodesia graduate and son of the former MP for Kunyasi, Mr. Josiah Gondo. He had served 2½ years of an 8 year sentence for attempting to assist guerillas, while working as an articled clerk with a firm of lawyers in Fort Victoria. His wife died while he was in prison.
BONIFACE MADZIMBAMUTO (38), whose death sentence was commuted to 35 years imprisonment in 1964. He had been held in Khami prison.
DAVID KILPIN (46) a Coloured farmer sentenced in June 1978 to 12 years imprisonment (increased from 7 years) for assisting and failing to report guerillas. He told the court during the trial that he supported the UANC.
AMASSAH MHAZO (42), sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in February 1977.
OLIVER MUZOREWA (50), an uncle of Bishop Muzorewa sentenced in October 1975 to 15 years imprisonment (6 suspended) for recruiting youths for "guerilla training".
On 31 March the Rhodesian press reported that the transitional government had decided to release all prisoners of war, detainees and restrictees before the elections, to enable them to take part. However, such releases would be conditional on those involved denouncing the armed struggle and agreeing to work within "the law of the country". Releases in practice appear to have been on a very small scale.
